The Ultimate Battle
by Bumbles217
Summary: Megatron has returned to Earth, seeking the Autobot's destruction and complete control of Cybertron.His key to success being Starscream. Will he overcome Megatron's tyrannic shadow,or will the Autobots and Decepticons be divided forever? *sequel to ADITL
1. Sleepovers and Takeovers

**Aahh, here it is. The sequel you've waited for, and a story I've been dying to write for ages. Transformers animated belongs to Hasbro, I own nothing. **

**And so it begins….**

* * *

"**A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though she knows that you are slightly cracked." -Bernard Meltzer**

* * *

Sari Sumdac, red hair bouncing on her back, ran outside into the mid-morning sunlight. She panted slightly after running from her room to the outside. Birds chirped and sang jubilantly, reflecting her happiness. "Yes!" she cried happily. She broke into a run, heading towards the bus stop, leaving her sleeping friends behind with just a scribbled out note.

It was only about Ten-Thirty in the morning, yet the streets and roads were already bustling with activity. It was, after all, a Friday morning, which tended to spur people into various weekend activities no matter what the hour. Sari's excitement was no different than anyone else's as she trotted over to stand beside a somewhat crowded bus stop. She smiled, as if she were in on some big secret that only she knew. She giggled to herself slightly, rocking back and forth on her heels as the bus glided up. Leaping on, she quickly took a window seat, watching the commotion and activity going on in the city as the bus drove on towards its destination. Sumdac Tower.

Jumping up and down in her seat slightly, the bus slowed to a stop. Quickly jumping up from her spot, she jumped over the steps that led onto the sidewalk. Smiling, she happily started skipping towards the building. It actually took at least ten minutes before she could make it to the lobby doors. The area around her dad's tower was quite populated. Plenty of roads, hills, tall and low-built buildings, and lowered and elevated roadways. The doors were almost constantly held open because of so many people going in and out.

Sari managed to make her way towards the doors through the crowd, though she was not overlooked. Skipping through the lobby, her key bouncing on her chest, she was met with several pleasant hello's. Sari hurried into the elevator, surrounded by much older adults. She watched the lit-up buttons expectantly, waiting for her turn.

After the elevator emptied, she eagerly stretched up on her boots to press the button that read, "penthouse". The steel doors slid open and closed smoothly as she stepped out into the hallway. On her way to her room, she stopped to smile at the damage done to the outer wall. Thick metal beams with fiberglass had been installed for the staff's safety, that is, after a certain Seeker had mangled it during a fight with a sleazy scientist.

Her entry into her room was met with happy barking from Sparkplug, and a pleasant wave and mechanical, "Good morning Sari," from Tutor-bot. She returned their greetings briefly before hurrying to her drawer, pulling out an overnight bag that matched her outfit. Smiling gleefully, she jammed pajamas, a toothbrush, toothpaste, a pillow and a blanket before zipping it close.

"See ya' later guys, I'm going to hang out with a couple friends of mine." Flipping out her phone, she called Bumblebee.

"Hey Bee? Its Sari,"

"Oh Hey Sari, where are you?"

I'm at my dad's tower in my room. I'm gonna help him out with a couple of things and then just sleep here tonight, is that okay?"

"Yeah, I'll see ya' later Sari,"

"Thanks Bumblebee!" She closed her phone, ending the connection. "And now for part two," she smirked. Her fingers quickly dialed out the number, waiting somewhat impatiently when she was put on hold. "Hello?" he finally answered.

"Hey dad!"

"Ah, Sari, what is it?"

"Can I spend the night at the autobot base tonight?" She eagerly waited for his answer.

"Of course, that sounds fine."

"Yes! Thanks dad! See you tomorrow!"

She snapped the phone shut without waiting for an answer of any sort. Now even more anxious to get going, she leaped into the elevator, impatiently pressing the lobby button. The doors slid shut at her request, the sound of grating metal being heard as the metal box made its way down.

By the time she made it to the lobby, things had quieted considerably, just a few groups of people wandering about. She hitched her backpack onto another shoulder before running back outside into the March air.

Without casting a look back, Sari returned to the bus stop to wait for her ride, hoping they were going where she wanted to go. When the transportation car rolled up, she quickly climbed up the stairs to speak with the driver. "Travelin' alone are we lil' lady?" He asked with a thick accent.

"Yeah, I was wondering, could you take me to Sumdac's carbon mines? Do you go that far?"

"Well I'll be, you're Sumdac's daughter aren't cha',"

She smiled, confirming his question. "M-hm!"

"Well sure, I'll take ya'! hop on!"

Grinning at her luck, she quickly jumped into the seat behind his as he restarted the vehicle, and began winding through the traffic.

* * *

The bus bumped and jostled along as it made its way down the dirt road in Detroit's wild forests. Sari cringed the whole time at the noise and jarring motions. "Can't you drive more carefully!" She called up ahead over the noise. "Sorry Miz Sumdac! Ol' Bessie here is pretty old ya' know! Anyway, we're here," She quickly picked up her bag and shakily made her towards the door.

"I would drive ahead more, but the road gets kinda' rocky."

"That's okay, thanks for driving me Mr..?"

"The name's Donald, if ya' ever need a ride elsewhere, you'll know where to find me."

"Thanks a lot!" She called over her shoulder. Leaping out the door, she eagerly started running down the dirt road, sending up puffs of dust as her small booted feet touched the ground. The closer she got to her destination, the more excitement swelled in her chest, making her go faster. When she ran by a sign that read, "Carbon Mines, next right" she smiled, her grin getting bigger when she spotted a larger sign with big handwriting that looked like it had been made by giants, spelling out, _"Keep out!" _Picking up speed, she rounded the corner, sending small pieces of rock and dust into the air.

Sari leaned on the wall, gasping for air after her excited dash towards her destination. Her small pink tongue hung out of her mouth slightly, panting as she looked up the side of the rock face where a large sealed doorway stretched in front of her. Sitting up straight, she went out the doors and knocked. No response. Cocking her head, she looked to her right to see a panel with ridiculously large buttons on it. Sari set down her load before running to it, jumping onto a small boulder situated next to it that was jutting out from the rock face. She just blinked at the controls. It looked like a code of some sort, but was composed of Cybertronian runes and symbols. Taking her key, she held it against the panel, waiting.

A second later, a small door open, giving access for the key. The blue energy glowed vibrantly even in the afternoon sunshine. Quickly pulling it out, the door opened just enough for her to squeeze through. The solid steel and iron door was a good three feet thick, walking through it quickly covered her in darkness, not even noticing she was in the main room until she felt the sides of the door stop brushing her sleeves. Sari blinked and rubbed her eyes, trying to get accustomed to the dark atmosphere of the room she was finally in.

The Decepticon base still held that quiet, calm aura, along with the slight, natural chill in the air that blocked out all warmth and sunshine from the rooms. "Hello?" she called into the gloom. Her voice reverberated around the empty walls, the last sounds vanishing around the quiet, and obviously un-used Space Bridge. Sari uncertainly took a few steps forward, not sure how to handle the situation, or possibility, of being alone inside of a mountain.

"Guys?" She tried again.

A small rustling sound made her turn around, but nothing was there. It was silent again, before the same noise was heard, only above her, and at the same time, somewhere down the depths of the tunnels. She followed the sounds with her eyes, but saw nothing whenever she looked. A flash of movement and color caught the corner of her eye. "Who's there!" she yelled out, turning in a full circle. A faint creaking noise came from the dark mouth of a tunnel directly in front of her.

Somewhat afraid, she started walking towards the dark opening, terrified, but determined to see what was wrong. When she was in the direct center of the room, the creaking noise ceased, and everything became eerily quiet, similar to a graveyard during midnight. She tensed, expecting something to happen or move. Letting out her previously held breath, she began to move but there came angry snarl and crash from above her.

Looking up, she only had time to gasp as a huge metallic hand came over her and pinned her to the floor like an owl pinning a mouse with its talons. She gasped, trying to get more air in, squirming as she tried to get free. "Stop moving or jou vill only increase jour chance of injury." An all too familiar, accented voice reached her ears. Blinking, she looked up to the long, shapely blue face of her newly acquired best friend, Blitzwing.

He was kneeling above her, one hand positioned freely on his purple kneecap, his other hand pinning her down, only her head and shoulders being free. In the gloom of the cave, it was dark, and she could only make out his general outline, and his bright ruby colored optics. Her fear quickly evaporated. "He-!" She attempted to say "hey" but he pressed harder with his palm, cutting her off. "Give me za answers zhat I vant, and jour off-lining _might_ be painless. Vhat business do jou have being here?"

She smiled up at him, his body becoming more defined as she adjusted to the dimness of the room.

"I was hoping we could have a slumber party!" she happily chirped. His optics widened, his hand slackening its pressure on her body.

"…Sari?" He asked her name in wonderment.

She giggled. "Who else three-face?"

He shook his head as if clearing his head of some bad thought.

"Sari! Jou're here!" His mood quickly becoming joyous. She smiled and rolled her eyes. "Duh, Now do you think you could let me stand up now?" He blinked and quickly frowned.

"Oh! I am zo sorry! I didn't know it vas jou!" He quickly pulled his hand back, instead reaching over and helping her to her feet.

"Jou should've said somezhing earlier," he reasoned, brushing dust of her shoulder and flicking a pebble out of her hair. She picked up her slightly crushed backpack and brushed that off.

"I tried to, but you were all like, "_Who are jou and vhat iz jour business here_," She said, imitating his accent and casting a deep, boyish voice. Icy folded his arms crossly. "Zhat iz not vhat I sound like."

She smiled and crossed her arms in a similar manner. "Okay, say what you want to say," she joked. He snorted before reaching down and picking her up by the scruff on the back of her dress and depositing her on his shoulder. "Zo tell me again, vhy are jou here?"

She held out her overnight bag in front of his face. "Because, it's a Friday, and I wanted to spend it with you." He still had a questioning look in his optics. She couldn't help but giggle at his confused expression.

"it's the last day of the week, its when friends can get together and do fun stuff," she explained. He frowned thoughtfully. "Like vhat kind of activities?"

"Well, we do, um, we usually, uhh, I don't really know, we just do fun stuff." "Hm," he said thoughtfully. Sari glanced behind her and looked around. "Vhat are jou looking for?"

"Where's Starscream? And Lugnut and Blackarachnia?" He blinked, as if just remembering something. "O I forgot about zhem! I'll call for zhem shall I?" She grinned and nodded, covering her ears.

"Starscream! Come out here! Ve have a visitor!" he bellowed down the tunnel. There was a pause before the sound of heavy footfalls reached her ears.

Starscream, Blackarachnia, and Lugnut emerged out of the hallway together, looking around suspiciously. "Who? Who is here?" Starscream demanded, glaring around the room.

"Hi!" Sari called over, waving. They stopped scanning the room to look at her. A small smile appeared on Starscream's faceplates. "Sari?"

She falsely huffed, pretending to be angry. "Okay! I think we have the names sorted out." Their looks of anger and wariness disappeared.

"Sari! Good to see you!" "What are you doing here?"

She smiled. "I rode the bus, and I wanted to hang out with you guys," They all shot each other somewhat nervous looks. "But vhat about jour autobot friends? Von't zhey wonder vhere jou are?" he asked.

She giggled, like she was in on some inside joke. "I gave them the slip, they think I'm sleeping in my room tonight, and my dad thinks I'm sleeping at their base."

"Clever. Now what?" Starscream asked, holding back a small laugh. "Well…what do you guys do for fun around here?" she asked. They just gave her odd looks.

"Fun?"

"Vhat fun?"

She shook her head. They really didn't have a clue. "Lets just go outside, maybe we'll get an idea out there," she suggested, but around her, they groaned complainingly. "What?"

"Must ve?

"Its too bright out."

"We prefer nighttime."

She shrugged. "Okay, I'll just go by myself." She poked Blitzwing's cheek, wanting to be let down. He grimaced, not really wanting to be parted with her, but relented and set her back on the ground. Swinging her bag onto her shoulder, she ran to the door, which Starscream opened. Temporarily blinded by the bright sunshine, she blinked, but continued outside undeterred.

"Bye!" she called over her shoulder as the doors slammed shut, leaving the rest of them in quiet darkness.

Sari stood outside the door, wondering how to get down from the cliffs and down to the forest and wilder

* * *

ness below. Walking along the very edge of the cliff, she started walking looking for a place that wasn't too steep. At one point, a cluster of earth gave beneath one of her boots. Looking down, there happened to be a path built into the side of the rock that led into the ground level where all the trees and grass was, most likely the path being the result of water eroding the soil away.

Smiling at her luck, she stepped onto the trail and zigzagged her way down until she landed on the springtime grass. On funny coincidence, a striped bumblebee buzzed teasingly in front of her face before landing on a daisy. Sari glanced back up to see if her friends had come out yet, which, they hadn't. Frowning, she set down her orange and yellow bag, and ran into the welcoming leafy woods.

* * *

The four 'cons still stood in their same spots, not really sure on whether to go outside or just stay inside.

"…She might need someone to look after her," Lugnut suggested.

"Maybe it vouldn't hurt to go outdoors, just for a minute." Blitzwing agreed.

Starscream and Blackarachnia murmured their agreement before walking up to the steel barricade. They slid open at his presence, letting in a waterfall of golden sunshine and birdsong. Blinking, the group stepped out onto the dirt, the doors closing automatically. The small group looked around somewhat curiously, studying nature at its newest.

"Shall ve?" He finally spoke up, motioning to the right. They started walking without speaking, too caught up with the natural beauty that was virtually everywhere, even the rock seemed new and alive. At some point along the path, Blitzwing pointed at Sari's backpack that was sitting in the grass. The three mechs leaped off the cliffs, ignoring the drop, to land heavily on their feet, the sound of their landing echoing through the forest. Blackarachnia rolled her optics at the somewhat, unethical, approach, and suited herself for just walking down the same way Sari had gotten down.

* * *

The little red haired girl wobbled unsteadily on her feet after a thick vibration roiled beneath her feet. "I knew they would come." She grinned, running deeper into the wilderness, a plan beginning to form in her mind.

* * *

She finally stopped at the place she needed to be. A tree. A tall oak that must've been twice the height of Optimus. Reaching up, Sari grabbed the lowest branch, then the next, and the next, steadily getting higher. "This is gonna be so, sweet!" she giggled, ducking behind one of the bushels of leaves just as Blackarachnia parted the trees, Blitzwing, Starscream and Lugnut following her. "Her tracks end here." Lugnut said, shrugging his massive shoulders. Blitzwing's optics went to the tall oak tree situated to the far right, where Sari's foot impressions on the grass ended. He smirked and switched to his grinning Random face, sensing a game was in play.

He purposefully walked beneath the branches, unnoticed by the others. "Hmmm…I vonder vhere Sari could be…" He snickered.

As quietly as she could, Sari ducked beneath the leaves, and slipped off the branch to land quietly on top of Blitzwing's helmet. She hunkered down, pressing her hands to his beige plating for balance as he started walking again. And at one point, Blackarachnia stepped over a bush and cast a glance up, spotting Sari.

She gasped and opened her mouth to say something, but Sari held back a giggle and put a finger to her lips. The femme just smiled and winked before murmuring something to Starscream and Lugnut. The two 'cons looked over their shoulders to see what she was talking about, only to see the little human still perched, grinning, on the triple-changer's helmet. They all held back their laughs, trying not to give her position away.

At one point Random stopped his circling to shrug. "I don't know guys, she just disappeared!" Laughing was becoming even harder to hold back when they saw Sari making faces at the black and purple 'bot. He narrowed his optics and giggled to himself.

"Gotcha!" he made a grabbing motion at his head, but he only grasped empty air. "Vhat…?" Even his three comrades stopped giggling, noticing Sari was indeed gone. Switching back to Icy, he spun around to investigate the tree behind him, this one being just a few branches taller than himself. "Vait…" he muttered, leaning forward.

"BOO!" Sari shouted in his face, dropping down suddenly in front of his optics. "Aaahh!" he gasped and quickly stumbled back.

His three comrades erupted into laughter, finding his terror hysterical. Sari laughed herself, holding onto the branch with just her hands, dangling in open air. "You should've seen the look on your face Blitzwing, you big scaredy 'bot, hahaha!" Icy twitched, feeling humiliated.

"Oh, ha-ha very funny," he groused, holding out his hand palm-up. She casually let go of the tree limb to land lightly in his broad black hand. "I knew jou vere on my helmet though," She folded her legs beneath her in a sitting position, grinning up at him. "I had you fooled though didn't I?" He grinned back.

"Yez, it vas clever to go back into za tree at za last minute." She smiled proudly, pulling a leaf out of her hair. "Now what?" asked Starscream, leaning on a tree. "Uhhh, I don't know," she tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"Vell, vhat do humans do for fun?" Blitzwing asked, setting her back on the ground. She smiled evilly and leaned back, before leaping forward and slapping his foot. "Tag, you're it!" She started to run, but he just gave her a confused look as did the others. She leaped forward again, whacking his foot again. "Tag! You're it! You're it,"

She trailed off when they just stared at her. "Hello? I run, you chase. Whats the matter, don't you know how to play this game?" He just lifted an eye ridge at her. "Oh," she said grinning knowingly. She ran to the edge of the clearing, ready to leap through the bushes. Opening her mouth wide, she shouted,

"HotHead's gap-tooth is so big you could drive a truck through it! Now come and get me redhead!" She ran through the foliage out of sight. The three cons watched her go before turning to look at Blitzwing, who, naturally enough, was on HotHead. His lips were tightly shut, just a thin red line on his face, his cheek twitching slightly.

"Ze girl must die." He grunted. Without another word, he cleared the space between him and the exit in one leap, and started running off in the direction she had gone. The trio gave each other nervous looks before following after them.

Sari bolted through the green wilderness, trying to get as much distance as she could between herself and him. Leaping over a small stream, she glanced behind herself, thinking she had lost him. But, apparently not.

Just as she started slowing down her pace to catch her breath, a huge black boot slammed down where she had been a few seconds ago. She quickly continued running, trying to get away.

"Get back here meat scrap!" he shouted, bowling over any vegetation in his way. "We call this tag!" She shouted over her shoulder at him.

All at once, the trees and grass ended, opening up to a wide valley of bare earth. Not paying attention, she continued running forward, not noticing the sheer drop in front of her. Finally glancing forward, she saw the crater ahead of her. "Whoa!" she drove her boots into the dirt, but her momentum pulled her forward anyway.

Sari stopped directly at the precise edge of the crater, the fall looking about a good four hundred feet down. She wobbled uncertainly, her leg on the edge, the other bent at the knee trying to regain her balance while her arms flailed wildly for a handhold. The soft, weak dirt began to crumble beneath her, tipping her farther into the abyss. "Help!!" she finally shrieked, falling forward. The feeling of falling suddenly ended as a strong hand wrapped around her torso and pulled her back from the cliff side.

Leaning forward slightly, she could see the place where the ground had given out. Looking behind, she saw Blitzwing looking at her. She smiled sheepishly and sat up straighter. "Foolishness," he said gently. She shrugged shyly, taking her small weight of the broad black wall that was his hand. "Thanks," Stretching up on the tips of her toes, she looked over the edge of his pointer finger, trying to determine how big the crater was.

"Its huge!" she exclaimed, her mouth dropping slightly. He chuckled, pulling his hand back and taking her with it. "I think you'll find ze view better from up here." He raised his hand and held it out in front of himself. She quickly stood up, looking at the pit dug into the ground. "Whoa.." she said in awe, staring at it, which made even Blitzwing look small. "Impressive isn't it?" he interrupted her sightseeing.

She turned to face him. "How'd it get here?" He smiled shyly. "Well, zhat vould be my fault." She sat down cross-legged, looking at him curiously. "How is it your fault?" He laughed slightly and shook his head, lowering her to about optic-level.

"Vell, a vhile back, I, meaning Random, decided to build a "swimming pool", only I had Lugnut dig it out." Her eyes grew large.

"Did Lugnut use that punch thing of his to make _this_?!" He couldn't help but laugh again. "Yez, zhat is exactly how it went." She looked over her shoulder. "Why isn't any water in here?" He shrugged.

"Ze thing is, after he made it, I decided I didn't like zhis spot for ze pool." She blinked, before smiling hugely and beginning to laugh. "Poor Lugnut!" she gasped out through her giggles.

"And he has yet to pay for forcing me to do it." Blitzwing turned around to see Blackarachnia, Starscream and Lugnut standing beside him. Starscream stepped forward to stand beside him. "Wasn't this the time when you told Lugnut, "Actually, now zhat I look at it, I think za swimming pool vould look better over zhere" ? he asked, doing a scratchy impression of the triple-changer. He shrugged. "Yez, and jour point?"

"Look, I know I've probably made my point, but again, now what?" The magenta Seeker asked.

Blackarachnia smiled. "I know a place, follow me," Without waiting, she leaped up into the nearest tree, taking off by leaping from branch.

"Vell I guess now, ve follow ze femme,"

Tramping after her through the forest wasn't as easy as it seemed, at least not on foot. Poor Lugnut looked more out of place than a fish on dry land, clomping through the dense area. Sari was pressed up against Blitzwing's cheek on the inside of his helmet so she wouldn't get hit by branches or pinecones. "Zhis "special place" better be worth it," he grumbled, slapping aside a frail sapling.

All at once, the trees thickened to form an almost wall, but beyond, the sound of trickling water and the ruffling of grass was heard. "I'm in here," they heard her voice, but it sounded so faraway. Looking confused, Lugnut was the first to step forward, parting the wall with his thick arms, leaving an opening. The two Seekers quickly hurried inside, just as the trees snapped shut like a big bear trap. "Whoa…" they said quietly.

It was a large clearing, but was completely sealed off by the brigade of trees, blocking out the outside world. The space was a perfect circle, about forty-five feet across, and thirty-five feet wide. Every inch of grass covered the ground, not leaving one bare spot, like a big, perfectly cropped carpet. Blue-grey rocks jutted in from the far side of the trees, a clear stream running down it and feeding into a small pool that was situated at the bottom. Further of, they spotted Blackarachnia sunning herself on piles of flat, sun-warmed rocks. In a nutshell, it was the Garden of Eden incarnated.

"Itz.."

"I know,"

"but how…?" They stumbled over the words, looking at Blackarachnia for answers. I didn't _make _it if that's what you're implying, just something I discovered on one of my walks. "….Oh," was all they said. She laid back down on the rocks, a clear dismissal.

The three of them split up to go to separate places. Starscream slowly approached the pool, kneeling beside it to look at its silvery-blue dephs. A gleaming fish leaped out of the water, flecking his face with spots of water. Intrigued, he sat at the edge of it, lazily dragging a claw through the water.

Lugnut just sat at the base of an oak, leaning down to watch a green and brown snail slither placidly at his feet.

Having Sari in one hand, Blitzwing walked to more far-off corner where purple and orange flowers were blooming, small bumblebees going from flower to flower. He collapsed onto the spot, ignoring the bees angry buzzing. "Hey, don't be mean to the bees!" Sari scolded. He just blinked tiredly and stared up at the sky.

One of the fuzzy yellow bugs landed on his nose, making him twitch. Sari smirked and leaned against his fingers, waiting to see what he would do. The bee skittered forward, tickling his face plates with its pollen covered legs. A funny look came across his face, his brow furrowed, his lip curling slightly. "What are you do-" "ACHOO!!" He sat up and sneezed violently, the bee quickly buzzing away while everyone turned to stare at him. "Vhat are jou all looking at?" he said brusquely.

Glancing down at his hip , he saw Sari giggling like mad. "Vhat do jou find so funny?" he demanded. She smiled up at him and said, "Its just, I didn't know robots could sneeze, its funny!" she started laughing again, but he just looked the other way, rubbing his now sensitive nose.

"Now vhat are jou doing?" he turned his head around over his shoulder to look at her as she collected the purple and orange flowers that sprouted brightly from the ground. "I'm making something, close your eyes." Shrugging he did.

"Open them!" He dared open his optic, but didn't see her, only felt her on his shoulder. "Vhat did jou do?" he narrowed his good optic. She just giggled. "Go look at the water." "I vill zhen!" He roughly stood up, jostling her on purpose. "If jou did anything to me, I swear, I'll…" he didn't finish, stopping at the water's edge, looking down blankly at the water, for, perched on his helmet, was a small head wreath made of the flowers, giving him a femme appearance.

"Nice headwear three-face," Blackarachnia said, smirking from her spot on the rocks. "Very mech-like indeed," Starscream jeered. "_So _manly," Sari grinned, sitting on his shoulder and swinging her legs back and forth. "Allright zhen," he flicked the flower ring off his head before reaching up and grabbing Sari, cutting off her laughter. "Now itz my turn," She gulped.

* * *

"You didn't have to do that," she grumbled.

"Jou started it,"

"That wasn't very nice,"

"Who sayz I'm nice?"

Sari glared at him, squeezing the water out of her ponytails after he had submerged her in the pool. "Jour shrieks vere all zhat I vanted to hear," he said proudly. She turned her back on him, leaning on his boot while wiping off the droplets from her arm. He smirked while watching her, taking on the "cross-legged" position she used so much. Finally frustrated, she turned to glare at him, tilting her head back to look past his foreleg.

"Don't you have a towel or something?"

"Do I look like someone who vould carry around a scrap of useless cloth?" "Hmph!"

She turned around again, preferring to be wet than argue pointlessly. Ignoring her anger, he just smiled and flicked one of her ponytails, sending small droplets onto the ground. She tensed up, a sign she didn't want to be touched. He did it again, only Random taking his place with the usual big red grin.

"Don't, touch me!"

She growled, turning to shoot him a glare. The minute she faced forward again, he repeated it. This time without looking behind, she growled,

"If you touch my hair one more time…"

Random giggled but otherwise kept his hands in his lap respectively. She loosened up, finally thinking he had gotten bored of it, until;

_Flick!_ He did it again. Before he could pull his hand back, she whirled around and pounced on his hand like kitten would attack a yarn ball. She clung onto his finger, attempting to bite him.

"A little feisty aren't we?! Ahahaha!!" Random cackled, falling onto his back. For a moment, she just wrestled with his hand, trying to various damage to it, bending, biting, pulling, whatever came to mind.

"Ooohh! Zhat tickles!"

Ignoring his teasing, she ran across his arm onto his chassis and up to his glowing black and red face. For a moment, he stopped laughing while she fixed him with an angry glare.

"Hii-yah!" she swung her foot up and kicked him where his nose should've been. The result was a small "bang" from the contact of her boot. "I vant to try!" he shouted in her face. Jerking forward, he bumped her on the forehead with his, making her fall onto her back from the hit. For a moment, she lay still, eyes closed up to the point where Icy switched around to look at her. She hadn't been hit too hard, even on human standards the hit was light.

Getting worried, he leaned forward until his chin touched his chest, right in front of her boots. "Sari…?"

"BOO!" she sharply sat up, spooking him. He tilted his head back in response, startled. She smiled and started giggling at his expression.

"Gotcha' again," she said, winking.

Sari continued giggling until Blitzwing's irritated scowl lightened into a small grin, it was hard to stay mad when she had such a happy and young giggle. She looked up at him, biting her lip to prevent any more laughter from seeping past her lips. She creased her eyebrows, relenting, but her laughter started up again like a broken dam. His lip curled slightly. Its what she wanted, to make him laugh. She got what she wanted, his laughter joining hers. He couldn't help it. They kept at it until she was laying back down against his collar, both of them trying to catch their breath.

"I cannot remember za last time I had such a nice time," He murmured, staring up at the sky that had begun to glow orange, red and pink as the sun began setting.

She got on her knees, crawling forward until she was directly next to him, leaning her head on his cool, blue cheek. "I can," she said just as quietly, tempted to fall asleep in spite of the early hour.

"Lets head back to base, jou are cold, wet and tired, and it is getting dark,"

She grumbled something about not being tired even though her eyes were shut. Lifting her away from his face, he stood up and stretched, his back and legs responding with a few cracks. Sari opened her mouth in a small yawn, stretching her own legs before laying back in his hand.

"Now letz just get ze others and-"

He cut himself off when he saw that his three companions had left, leaving them alone. Sari didn't seem to notice, she just blinked lazily, tempted to lay down again until he wrapped his fist around her. "Hold on," he instructed. Firing up his thrusters, he shot skyward a few feet until he cleared the tops of the trees. She managed to raise her head, admiring the thick sea of emerald that spread out before them.

The earth trembled slightly as he touched down outside the tree-wall, walking away from it to head back to base. Sari tried pushing his hand away, wanting to be free. "You can let go now,"

"Oh! Sorry,"

He released his grip before setting her on his shoulder. The forest around them glowed with varying shades of green, orange, pink and yellows, the sunset casting its warm rays through the foliage.

"One day, when our race is not at war, ve should explore zhis planet, jou and I. Zhere must be more beautiful sights Zhan zhis on the planet."

He suggested. She laid down on his broad beige shoulder, smiling. "Yeah,"

The majority of their walk was quiet. The only sounds where those of birds calling out final songs before roosting while crickets started chirping in the undergrowth.

The woods finally thinned out, until he emerged into the same clearing from which they had come, Sari's backpack still sitting at the bottom of the path. On his way to the rock walls, he stooped down and picked up her bag, handing it to her before gripping the stone, and swiftly climbing up the wall and onto the road.

"You know, you do cooler things every time I hang out with you." she said, grinning at him from the side.

He returned the grin, obviously pleased. "Thank jou,"

When they rounded the corner to the steel doors, the sun was a vibrant orange half-disk on the far horizon. He paused, looking west at the soon-to-be gone sun. She looked at him questioningly.

"Be grateful zhat jou grow up vith zo many wonderful things in jour life Sari…"

He murmured before walking inside.

The room was better lit this time, Lugnut and Blackarachnia not around, yet Starscream sat at the main computer, looking drained, yet still typing away, not aware of their arrival. Looking suspicious, Sari motioned silently at Starscream to Blitzwing. They walked forward to stand beside him, he looked even more worse up close.

"Starscream?"

He jumped, obviously startled. He drearily rubbed his optics, trying to look more alert.

"What is it?"

Both Blitzwing and Sari gave him irritated looks.

"Vhen vas ze last time jou recharged?"

"Or the last time you had any oil?"

He blinked slowly, trying to get his energy back up. "On and off again," he said. Blitzwing firmly took his arm and pulled him out of his chair.

"Jou are going to recharge, zhats an order from _jour _second in command, I'll have Blackarachnia send jou an oil barrel later."

Sari put her hands on her hips, sharing the triple-changer's displeased mood. The magenta Seeker staggered to his feet, then walked down the hall without a second word. Blitzwing watched him go with an unwavering gaze.

"He'll join us later, he's alvays been very stubborn." he said, following Starscream's path to his own room.

He sat at his desk, activating the computer. Sari leaped off his shoulder and slid down the length of his arm to sit on his hand in front of the computer. The screen lit up with blue and white brilliance. She waited while he deftly typed away, not paying attention much attention to anything else. While he worked, she attempted ways of entertaining herself. Counting keys on his keyboard, rocking from side to side by holding on to the tips of her boots, reciting the multiplication table up to one hundred, nothing worked.

"Bored?"

He finally spoke up. She looked up at him, he stared back. "Yeah,"

"Vhat do jou suggest?"

"…..a movie!" She exclaimed after some thought.

"Vhats a movie?"

"Its like a story only acted out by people, its like entertainment."

"Oh, what did jou have in mind?"

She reached over and pulled her backpack up to her chest, digging around inside until she pulled out a DVD case. "Lets watch this!" She handed it up to him. He delicately took the small case between his thumb and forefinger before squinting to read the print.

"…Seabiscuit? Jou cannot be serious, must ve vatch such slag?"

"Its not slag! Its about race horses, jockeys, the Kentucky derby, its great!"

"…All right, I'll vatch it, but I von't enjoy it."

She smiled triumphantly, leaping into his offered hand before he walked out the door. Walking a few yards deeper into the tunnels, he stopped by two doors as he went, banging on both of them. Lugnut and Blackarachnia stepped outside.

"Ve're going to vatch a smoothie, vant-"

"Movie!"

"sorry, a movie, Vant to join us?"

"Whats a "movie"?"

"A form of popular human entertainment. Do jou vant to come or not?"

He didn't wait for their answer, he just swiftly began walking back up the hall. Blackarachnia and Lugnut exchanged slightly confused looks before following.

The control room was quiet, dimmed, and, according to Sari, slightly spooky.

"Jou vill get use to it,"

He commented, walking to a panel built into the rock. A flat slot slid out after he had pressed a green button built-in. The CD looked no bigger than a marble compared to the much larger rings on the slot.

"Will it even fit?"

She watched him casually drop it in the center of the player before it retracted. "It vill vork."

Lugnut had managed to drag together two pieces of gleaming sheet metal, which Blackarachnia tied together with purple spider silk. They both quickly sat down on the makeshift couch, just to annoy Blitzwing.

"My chair is more comfortable anyvay," he said disdainfully.

He rolled the computer chair over to Lugnut's side, falling into it happily.

With the room darkened, it was perfect conditions for watching the movie. The warning copyright titles appeared onto the enormous screen in front of them.

"That's a huge TV,"

Sari quietly commented.

"Vhat? Zhat little thing? Zhats a travel-size monitor. Zhis is as small as zhey get."

"Whoa…"

She stared at the screen, trying to imagine how big Tvs could get back on Cybertron. She couldn't even guess.

As the opening titles began, a creaking sound drifted into the room as Starscream dragged his computer chair over to sit between Lugnut and Blitzwing. He sat down and folded his arms wordlessly, optics trained on the screen with mild interest. Sari, who was sitting perched on Blitzwing's shoulder, frowned and tried to see past Starscream's raised wing.

She stood up impatiently and even placed her foot on his collar, elevating herself, but for nothing. She stepped down and impatiently tried moving at different angles to see but to no avail. Blitzwing finally noticed when he felt her trying to climb up the side of his shoulder guard.

"Vhat are jou doing?"

She jumped up every now and then, scrabbling at the vertical armor guard but couldn't because of the metal's smoothness.

"I can't see, his wing is in the way," she huffed, again trying to climb up the side of the metal.

"Oh, vell here,"

He wrapped his hand around her body and lifted her away from his shoulder, instead placing her on the brim of his helmet. It was about six feet long, and twelve feet wide from edge to edge, plenty of room to sit or lay down due to her small size. She crawled to the edge and looked underneath it to look at him directly in the optics.

"Zhere jou go, best seat in ze base."

She grinned hugely before pulling away and sitting cross-legged in the center, her view perfect of the movie that had just begun.

The two or so hours drifted by, the lot of them occasionally laughing at certain parts, all of them dead quiet during dramatic moments, and of course, plenty of questions directed at Sari. Inquiries such as what is a horse, why do they wear numbers, and why did the women wear such strange, large hats.

Starscream would mock the horses every time they ran, commenting on how they could never match the speed of a Seeker. All three of Blitzwing's personalities enjoyed it. Random would smirk and giggle if a rider ever fell of their horse, or during any other funny moment, Icy was interested in the tactics and history of horse racing in Kentucky, and whenever scenes of them racing would come on Hothead would shout at Seabiscuit to go faster and "beat the living slag" out of his competitors. At one point when the movie was near the very end, Lugnut and Starscream said quietly that they were turning in for the night, leaving just Blackarachnia, Blitzwing and Sari. The screen finally went dark as the credits began rolling up the screen, light music playing with it.

Blackarachnia took a remote of one of the shelves and clicked the TV off, sighing tiredly to herself. She paused, turning to look at Blitzwing who was stretching his legs before standing.

"How's the kid?" she asked.

He finished stretching out his muscles to reach up and take Sari off of his hood. She felt limp in his hand and he immediately assumed she had fallen asleep. Sari laid on her side, breathing lightly with her eyes shut.

"She iz recharging."

He said, standing up, his back creaking from lack of movement.

"Goodnight,"

She said quietly so as not to wake the sleeping girl before quietly walking down the hall. He blinked his good optic, clearing his drowsy eyesight. The halls were quiet as he made his way to his room, the only sounds were his footsteps, her breathing, and his own. The door slid open soundlessly, the room dark except for a few meager oil lamps lining the walls. He jabbed a button on the generator at the bottom of his computer with his foot, shutting it off.

He laid Sari down carefully on his recharge bed, tiredly going to a basin built into a wall, the water supplied from a funnel inside the rock. He splashed water onto his face to wash the bits of organic tree matter off his face and the small dusty foot prints from Sari's boots off of his head. He blinked water out of his optics and dried his face on a tattered old rag.

He wiped excess water from his chassis before turning to go back to his berth. His optics widened slightly when he saw Sari laying on her side, but with her head raised, eyes halfway open. He smiled lightly at the sight of her.

"Tired?"

She blearily nodded.

"Did I vake jou?"

"No, I wasn't in my pajamas, and I need those."

He nodded, walking back to his desk and picking up her backpack, dropping it in front of her. She flipped it open and pulled out a pair of shorts and a big t-shirt, both the same color of her dress. She kicked off her boots and stuffed them in, exchanging them for a light orange and yellow pillow and blanket.

"Turn around, I have to get dressed," she said, holding her clothes to her chest.

She rolled her eyes exasperatedly when Random took over.

"Ooo! Jou're going to be naked?! Scandalous!! I vant to see!!" he cackled.

"Blitzwing!" she shook her fist up at him. She sighed irritably as Icy whirled back around. He cleared his throat saying,

"Hm, I apologize, and I respect jour privacy."

He turned his back on her and took a few steps away. She kept her eyes focused on him entirely incase Random happened to appear.

"Okay I'm done."

He glanced at her before taking a few steps forward and turning off the lights. She blinked like a newborn owl in the darkness.

"Blitzwing?"

"I am here,"

She felt his hands scoop her up so he could lay down without her getting in the way. She rubbed her eyes, finally adjusting to the dark and being able to see. His optics were the only light source, giving off a red glowing haze. "Better?"

He lay on his chassis, one arm wrapped around her next to his face so they could speak freely. She smiled and laid down on her back, propping her pillow against his arm and stretching her legs in the small circular space he allowed around her.

"Yeah,"

She answered, pulling her blanket up to mid-chest. She crossed her arms behind her head, looking up at him.

"I hope jou're day spent here vas pleasant,"

"You bet it was," she said grinning.

"…..Jou don't happen to have you're svimsuit vith jou, do jou?" he randomly asked.

"Yeah I do, why?"

"I know ov a place vhere ve can go swimming, I myself have been zhere just a few times, but I suspect jou vill find it to jour liking."

Her eyes widened slightly after they had begun to close from drowsiness. "Really? Like a secret swimming hole? You'd take me?"

He chuckled at her enthusiasm.

"Ov course I vill. Perhaps ze others vould join us."

"Only if you can get that big block of metal Lugnut to swim. He'd float as much as much as that Omega ship did."

For some reason he found this quite humorous, his quiet laughter echoing along the walls. She giggled herself, but it quickly turned into a yawn, her eyelids drooping over her eyes.

"Ve von't be able to go if jou can barely sit up, now lie down."

He placed a finger on her chest and gently pushed her down against her pillow. Her eyes were now fully closed, but she still reached out to get her blanket. He took the edge of it and pulled it up to her chin. She smiled faintly and rolled onto her side, burying her nose in the interior of her pillow. He waited patiently until her breathing was slow and measured. He grinned when he heard her make a faint squeak-like noise every time she breathed out.

His own thoughts began to wander, his optic coverings begging to droop, when he heard a low moan. Looking down at her, he saw Sari's face scrunched up slightly, her brow furrowed. Then she began to speak.

"No…don't…you shouldn't…..go away stupid rust bucket…."

She murmured, occasionally cringing or turning from side to side. A nightmare. He had had plenty of them after he had joined Megatron and especially after the war started. For a moment, he just watched, wondering if he should interfere or not. Perspiration appeared on her forehead, she grimaced as if in pain before turning away from him in her sleep.

"Go away Megatron…"

She moaned in her sleep. He nodded to himself. Dreams of his leader were almost always bad ones, and for one so young and impressionable, it was no surprise from her. Her small cries started to grow slightly in volume, her fist clutching the blanket. All at once, she rolled over sharply and yelped as if poked by a heated metal rod. Small tears gathered at the corners of her eyes, actually threatening to spill over. Her whimpering continued until Blitzwing took her clenched fist away from the blanket, holding her hand delicately between his thumb and forefinger.

She relaxed slightly, her tears begging to shrink and dissipate. She continued whimpering and murmuring incomprehensively until he leaned down and whispered to her.

"Be calm, Sari. Jour nightmares are nothing but illusions, it vill not happen so long as I am here. Now sleep."

Her moans quickly dwindled and ceased, her brow furrowed until she relaxed again, a small frown on her face. She turned back onto her side, facing him, pulling her hand away from his as she hugged the corner of her pillow. He brushed a strand of red hair out of her face. Even in her sleep, she reached out and lightly felt the air.

"blitzwn…" she groaned.

He poked her hand. He recoiled slightly when she opened her eyes the slightest bit, but he relaxed when he saw that she must've still been asleep. She blindly reached out with both of her hands, wrapping her arms around his pointer finger. She buried her face against the black metal, murmuring something under her breath, frowning almost sadly.

He leaned over and said quietly to her,

"Rest easy, little one. Jou are safe, and I am here. Zhere is nothing here or anyvhere else zhat vould harm jou. Rest easy."

* * *

_Somewhere near Earth's Atmosphere…_

* * *

"Shockwave, report." Megatron stated.

"Just a few short megacycles my lord."

"Excellent. My revenge and our conquering of Cybertron shall come swift. But we cannot do it unless we have my warriors beside me. When we arrive, send out a message to any Decepticon signals of any kind that Megatron now requires their help."

"Well, you see my lord, I have taken the liberty of recruiting men for you."

Megatron turned his fierce red gaze on the 'bot.

"What soldiers, show me at once!" he ordered.

"Yes sir."

He walked across the deck towards a door to the right from Megatron's throne chair. The door slid open, Shockwave leaned forward slightly and called,

"Lord Megatron requires an audience with all of you."

He stepped back, and walked back to his spot, a small group of Decepticons following, varying from size to color.

"State your names." he demanded.

The first 'con walked forward.

"I have no name yet my liege, but when I do, I imagine it will only be as glorious as I."

Megatron stared thoughtfully at the soldier in front of him. He looked exactly like Starscream, only he was a mix of varying blues and grays. Obviously one of Starscream's "brothers". He would have to keep an optic on this one, but if he was willing to fight, then so be it.

"And you?"

He harshly asked the similar looking Seeker behind the blue one. He was violently trembling, as if expecting for something to leap out at him. He was slightly hunched over, optics full of fear and intimidation.

"I-I d-don't have a n-name either M-Megatron, but I would like one t-too, s-so long as its n-not too in-intimidating."

Megatron snorted, unimpressed, this one was the coward, it might be difficult to so much as get him into the air and shoot down even the smallest Autobot on the ground, but then again, maybe he would scare him onto it.

"You'll do." he grunted. The purple Seeker shakily nodded and quickly hurried away from his imposing form.

"And what of you? If I didn't know any better I'd say you are an Autobot."

The small dark green 'bot hissed at the word autobot, his purple optics flashing angrily.

"Autobot bad, very bad, Wasp wants them dead!" His voice synthesizer must've had a malfunction of some sort.

"Who is this "Wasp"?"

"I Wasp, I join Decepticons now, Wasp want revenge against Autobots."

"Very well."

Wasp went to go stand beside the two Seekers.

"Is that all?" Megatron coldly asked.

"Well, my liege, you see, I would have looked for more soldiers to join your army, but an Elite Guardsman was on the verge of discovering my identity. I disposed of him and fled Cybertron to search for you."

Megatron listened to him intently. "Might I ask how this certain member was disposed of?"

He snickered, saying, "He is nothing but a blue compacted cube at the bottom of a garbage chute."

"Good, and as for you two."

He motioned for them to step forward. They did as they were instructed, the purple bot shaking tremendously as usual, the blue one with his hands on hips, holding a heavy sense of pride and self-confidence.

"I cannot have random bots running around in my forces. I will give you names as I see fit, but prove that you are worthy to fight in _my_ army." It was no surprise when the blue Seeker stepped forward.

"I am willing to show off my magnificent skills first, O grey one." Megatron twitched irritably at the nickname, but refrained and motioned for him to continue.

Facing away from the rest of the group, he stood to face the windows. He narrowed his optics at the panes of thick glass, concentrating. Taking a breath, he raised his arms, and shoved the air with them, becoming very stiff as he did so. The entire room was silent, Megatron began to ask, "Is that it?" Before a small vibration rippled through the air.

It was their only warning before all of the glass panes he had been looking at shattered into crystalline dust, a loud roaring and booming sound erupting around the room as the vacuum of space started tugging everything forward. A loud siren started going off, adding to the whirlwind of noise. New slates of glass slid down and locked in place, replacing the broken ones. The alarm stopped, and the room grew calm and silent again.

The ego-maniac began to speak again. "Well, I believe that was a fantastic display of my superior firepower,"

Megatron blinked, before nodding.

"Welcome to the Decepticons…Thundercracker."

He turned his red gaze on the now even more terrified purple Seeker.

"And what of you coward?"

"M-Me?" he stuttered.

"What can you do?"

He kneaded his grey and purple hands together nervously.

"Well, I can fly at Mach 3, I have a thirty-two foot wingspan, I can-"

"Silence fool! I did not mean that! What is your talent?"

"T-talent?"

"Your gift, your advantage, your power, all Cybertronians have one of some sort, what is yours?"

Beads of cold coolant appeared on his neck and face, his trembling increasing quickly.

"I, I d-don't know!"

Megatron gritted his teeth. If this bot did not have a power or was too afraid to fight, then he was no longer needed.

"Well then I will have to dispose of you won't I?"

He reached behind his back and pulled out a long, thin grey sword. The purple Seeker's optics bulged with fear, light blue coolant gathering at the corners of his optics.

"N-no please! I can f-fight! J-just let me l-live!" He loved it when they begged. It was his favorite part. He held his sword over his head, ready to land a fatal blow on his skull, when he yowled out,

"Get away, Get away don't hurt me!!" There was a flash of blinding purple light, followed by a loud snapping noise, then it was silent. When he opened his optics, the purple bot was gone, instead, he heard the sound of teeth-chattering behind him. The Seeker now stood a few yards behind him, looking terrified, but now slightly confused at what happened.

Megatron smirked and strode purposefully towards him. The bot cowered against the wall, wondering what he was going to do. The large grey con clamped a hand on his shoulder.

"Very impressive…Skywarp."

Skywarp smiled shakily and nodded. Megatron turned away, ignoring the tell-tale thump as the purple cowardly con fainted and collapsed onto the floor. Thundercracker rolled his optics at his brother's idiocy, but otherwise walked over and began attempting to wake him up.

A red light flashed threateningly on the screen, followed by an alarm.

"What's happening?" Megatron hissed.

The ship began shaking and rattling as they neared Earth. "I suggest you take your seat my Lord, we are entering Earth's atmoshpere." he said, grasping the control panel for support.

He staggered back to his throne, sitting and clutching the armrests as the organic planet filled the windshield. "Make, no, mistake…" he hissed under his breath as they broke through the first layer of the atmosphere.

* * *

The Decepticon base lay dark and quiet, its occupants recharging. Blackarachnia was curled up in a corner in spider form among a nest of purple spider silk, Starscream lay sprawled on his bed, mouth slightly agape, Lugnut slept with his back against the wall, optic shuttered. Blitzwing had long since fallen asleep after comforting Sari. They both slept in silence, the only noise being the occasional squeak from her, and his rumbling breath.

Somewhere in the horizon, a very faint, almost unreal rumble sounded. Blitzwing twitched his nose, Blackarachnia shifted her leg, Starscream closed his mouth, and even Sari rubbed at her eye in her sleep for a moment. The rumble grew, slowly at first, but then it turned into a growing roar, until it sounded like it must've been only just a few miles in the sky. A buzzing alarm rang out in Starscream's room, starting him awake.

He jumped, startled, but quickly rubbed his optics and staggered to his computer and looked at it blearily. He read it over for a moment, his optics suddenly bulged with real fear mixed with anger and disbelief. He quickly snapped the alarm off before running to wake Lugnut, Blackarachnia and Blitzwing. The sound and vibration of something heavy landing somewhere in the forest rippled faintly through the base.

Blitzwing shifted in his sleep, feeling and hearing the noise. The sound of banging doors from down the hallway made him open his optics the slightest bit. Agitated voices sounded from outside his door before the sound of footsteps hurried away. He blinked, beginning to fall asleep again when his door was thrown open by Starscream.

"Blitzwing! We need you! Get up!"

He blearily opened his optics and raised his head. "Vhat iz it?"

"Its an emergency! Just hurry!" he ran back down the hall without another word. He blinked lazily, wondering if he should follow or stay with Sari and just keep sleeping. Thinking better of it, he carefully unraveled his arm from around her and sat up, stretching. He stood up slowly, waiting for the energon in his legs to start flowing and get rid of the numbness. He walked across the room into the hall towards the main room where his comrades were.

"Vhat iz so important zhat jou had to vake us?" he groused. Starscream just returned the glare.

"Does _Megatron_ returning sound like a good enough excuse?"

Blitzwing didn't hear what the others said as Blackarachnia began going off with a barrage of questions. He saw their mouths moving, but all he could here was a shrill ringing in his audios.

All at once his memories of spending time with Sari, fighting the autobots, arguing with Starscream, building the bridge, all came rushing through his mind like a broken dam.

"_How did? I mean, I thought they, how could…?" _He droned in his mind. But by now only one logical thing to say came to mind:

"FRAG IN ZE HOLE, I'M SLAGGED!!!" He shouted. The other three stopped talking to give him confused looks.

"Something wrong?" Blackarachnia snidely asked.

"YEZ!!"

"Calm down already! We just need to figure out a plan before that oversized trashcan gets here," Starscream growled.

Blitzwing had started pacing, muttering things to himself and his personas while holding the back of his head with his hands.

"_Ohh, I've really gone too far zhis time haven't I?"_

"_NoT REAalLy! ZO lONg aS MegaTrON DoEs Not FinD oUt Vhat ve haVE bEEn uP tO!! I liKe sECRets!!"_

"_**WHO CARES! HE'LL HAVE TO GET THROUGH ME IF HE EVEN COMES ANYWHERE NEAR HER**__!!" _

He paused and stopped pacing, looking up suddenly and saying,

"Sari!"

His three companions looked at him again.

"What?

"What about her?"

"She can't be here! Megatron vill kill her vhen he finds out, and then he'll be after _our_ necks!"

Starscream face-palmed his head. "_URGH!! _I completely forgot about her! _You_ need to get rid of her!" He pointed sharply at the black and purple 'bot.

"Vhat?! Me! Vhat about yourself! Megatron does not jou are here! If ve vant to be smart about zhis, jou should get going as vell until ve can figure something out!"

"Well you are the one who-"

"What's going on in here?" A small voice came from the hallway. They all looked across the room to see Sari standing in the doorway, her blanket wrapped around her because of the cold conditions. She rubbed her eyes and looked at them all, looking confused.

They just blinked in response. She wrapped her blanket tighter around her shoulders, saying, "I heard you guys yelling so I woke up, what's going on?"

Starscream jabbed Blitzwing in the shoulder, getting his attention. "Just go, I'll handle the brute." he nodded before running to Sari and scooping her up with one hand while running back to his room. "What's wrong?"

He ignored her and just ran into his room, roughly setting her on the bed before grabbing her backpack and jamming all of her stuff into it. "I'll explain on ze vay back to jour home, ve really need to get out of here,"

"What? Why?"

He went back to her and picked her up, handing her the backpack. "I can't talk right now, ve can't be here." She held her backpack to her chest, feeling anxious.

"Have everything?" Starscream asked as they emerged into the main room.

"Yez."

"Hurry up and leave, they are almost here."

"Right, but vhat about jou?"

"I'll think of something,"

"Have jou ever considered ze possibility zhat-"

"Will someone tell me what's going on!"

Sari finally yowled.

They all shot each other nervous looks, not sure if they should inform her or not.

"Vell, jou see Sari, don't be alarmed, but ve think zhat Meg-"

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

Large footsteps sounded outside of the door.

"Hide! Now!" Starscream snarled in Sari's direction. Blitzwing frantically looked around the room, trying to figure out where to put her. He finally bolted to Megatron's old throne chair and stuffing her behind it out of sight.

"Stay in zhere until I come for jou, understand?" She nodded, eyes fearful.

He flung himself away from the ground, running to stand beside Lugnut just as the doors slid open.

Megatron stood in the doorway, menacing and cold as ever. They stood up straight and at attention as he walked through the doors, four other bots following behind him. He walked to the center of the room, looking almost, pleased.

"Well I can see you all haven't made yourselves completely useless."

Blackarachnia elbowed Blitzwing, giving him a look that he should say something. He cleared his throat, saying,

"Y-yez sir, ready for service."

Megatron turned to gaze harshly at the triple changer. He didn't flinch under his leader's gaze, but he couldn't resist beads of coolant running down his neck.

The tyrant looked his soldier up and down. Something was different about him. He didn't hold the usual cold, disapproving air around him, instead, he seemed more cautious, almost fearful, but for something or someone else. And on top of that, he reeked of human scent.

Megatron finally turned his gaze away from the triple changer, allowing him a relieved sigh. He walked purposefully towards his throne, eyeing it carefully before sneering at it. Without turning around, he raised his head and growled,

"I can see you've made it back, Starscream."

The magenta Seeker stepped out from behind the shadowy side of the computer, arms calmly crossed, his gaze even and unwavering. "Megatron…"

He blinked, turning to look up at the bridge that towered overhead. "You especially have made yourself useful Starscream, perhaps I won't have to kill you now," He just grunted in response. Megatron turned to stare down the length of his chair. "But as for this one-!" He snarled, kicking his chair so that it slid back slightly, revealing Sari.

She gasped and turned to run back behind the throne, but he grabbed her first, holding her tightly in his fist in front of him, said to them,

"But this one, shall be exterminated."

* * *

"**Remember that it is not by a tyrant's words, but only by his deeds that we can know him" -Dwight David Eisenhower **

* * *

**For the love of Primus! 44 pages! But it was worth it, now I can submit it! Yay! So yeah, quite a cliffhanger, Megatron is now back on Earth, and he's found Sari, so what's a 'bot to do? Find out soon! Bye bye!**

**P.S. The movie choice of Seabiscuit was made between my friend, Amberstreaks11 and I, hope you liked it! **

***Seabiscuit belongs to Universal pictures, i own nothing.***


	2. Family Matters

**Transformers Animated belongs to Hasbro, I own nothing.**

* * *

_"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear"_ **~ Ambrose Redmoon**

* * *

Sari stared in mute terror at Megatron's glaring white and black face. His optics were deep, cold, and filled with disgust. So unlike Blitzwing or Starscream's friendly, warm ones. Without taking his optics off of her, he asked,

"Starscream,"

"Y-yes Sir?"

"Why is there an _insect_ hiding behind my seat?"

The four cons gave each other looks, not sure how to reply.

"I, I do not know my lord, perhaps it snuck in while we were not paying attention. Humans can be desperate."

Megatron tightened his grip, making her squeak.

"I suppose, though you of all bots Starscream should be aware when our base is invaded."

"I…I apologize, sir."

He snorted, saying, "Well then,"

Without another thought, he tossed her to the ground like discarding a crumpled paper ball. She landed harshly on her side, rolling a few times before stopping and clutching her knee to her chest, quietly crying.

Blitzwing violently bit his glossa to prevent crying out, and clutching the control panel so as not to reach out and catch her. He dared not scan her in his leader's presence, he just prayed nothing was broken.

"no point in leaving a human alive," he spoke up.

They watched for a minute as Megatron made his way to stand beside Sari's trembling body. She rolled onto her back and looked up at him tearfully.

Blitzwing choked in his throat when the tyrant raised his foot above her.

"Wait!!" Starscream and Blitzwing barked, both stepping forward. Megatron looked up and glared at both of them in turn.

"What!" he hissed. Starscream narrowed his optics and stepped back. Blitzwing blinked, re-hiding his concern. Thinking tactically, he stepped closer, an air of deceptive aloofness about him that would have made Starscream proud.

"Vhy soil jour servos with the foul fluids of organics my liege? Let me take care of ze little insect, it vill save jou plenty of trouble."

Behind him, Starscream, Blackarachnia and Lugnut gazed warily at their leader. If he declined, Blitzwing would rescue her, and then it would be all over.

Megatron considered the Seeker for a minute, trying to see if there was some sort of trick behind him, but his face remained passive and calm.

"…Fine. Kill it, but be back immediately after."

"Yes sir,"

He stepped forward and kneeled down, offering his hand in front of her. Sari gave him a suspicious, almost, frightened look. He forcibly made his face hard and irritated looking, for her sake and his comrades.

"Get on meat bag, we don't have all day."

Standing up, she limped forward before collapsing in his hand. He quickly stood up and clamped his fist around her, despite her squeak of pain and fear. Megatron watched him walk towards the hallway, eyeing him for any kind of deceit.

"Blitzwing,"

He froze, wondering if he had been given away.

"Yez sir?"

"…Be creative." he said, smiling demonically.

Blitzwing returned the smirk and said,

"Oh, believe me, I vill."

One of Sari's tears hit the side of his finger but he ignored her fear and continued walking until he was well out of sight. The tunnel became inkier and colder the farther down they went. "What are y-!" He quickly covered her mouth with his thumb, cutting her off.

"Don't speak until ve are outside."

She blinked but nodded.

They walked for several minutes, feeling like they were heading towards the mountain's core.

By now, Sari had gone completely blind, the only thing being visible was his red glowing optics. She felt him stop, and raise his hand, tapping some metal barricade of some sort. Two doors slid open, revealing the outside world, that of which seemed much more brighter than the tunnel even though it was still nighttime.

He stepped out into the cool night air, slight breezes rippling through the trees below the cliffs. Sari managed to finally push his thumb away and shake a fist at him.

"Are you crazy! What was that all about back there?"

He sighed and opened his hand, looking at her from optic level. For a moment they just stared at each other, she glared, he just looked blank. A fearful look finally passed her face.

"How did Megatron get back here?"

"Shockwave. He vent looking for him, brought him back here. We didn't know about this, I promise jou."

"Oh,"

She wrapped her arms tightly around herself, cold and scared. "Jour leg, its fluids are leaking out."

"What?"

"Your body fluids. It is red."

She looked down at her knee, noticing she had cut it when Megatron had dropped her.

"Does it hurt?"

She wrapped her arms around her leg, looking shakily at the wound.

"Yeah,"

Sari suddenly found herself pressed against his chest, hugging her.

"I'm sorry, zhis iz all my fault. Jou never should of come, How could I be so stupid?!"

She leaned her head against his plating, feeling him tremble.

"Its not your fault, I shouldn't have come, your right, so this is my fault."

"No itz not!" he harshly replied.

They stood there, not moving while she waited for him to calm down.

"What do we do now?"

He paused, staring off into the forest, trying to think.

"…Megatron vill vant vord and proof of jour death, so we vill give him one." She looked up at him, looking scared.

"What?!

"I don't mean it, but we vill have to be creative-"

His sensitive audios picked up a rustling down in the forest below. Looking down, he saw a doe nibbling the grass. Perfect.

"Vait here,"

He instructed, setting her down on the stone.

"Where are you going?"

"…hunting."

Before she could ask what he meant, he leaped off the cliff, to land a couple yards down on a smaller one, trying to sneak up on the unsuspecting animal. The doe curiously sniffed a berry bush, unaware of the stalker. He crouched on the ledge, waiting until the animal was near enough. It finally turned away from the brush to walk across the grass, directly below his ledge. He tensed up, preparing to pounce.

The next few events happened quickly. Blitzwing leaped from the rock and landed on the deer, pinning it down with his hands. The terrified animal yowled and violently kicked, trying to free itself. Growling, he slashed the animal across the neck with his serrated digit. The deer went limp, the warmth draining from its body.

Impressed at the stealthy kill, he dragged the animal closer to the cliff wall, so if she looked, Sari wouldn't be able to see what he was doing. He took a breath, trying to calm himself at what he was going to do. Exhaling, he clamped his hands around the deer's chest, and with a quick squeeze, the rib cage shattered and the animal's chest burst, various organs and bone fragments spilling out. He stopped and closed his optics, holding back slight nausea.

As its blood began flowing out, he pressed his palms against the small collecting pool, covering them with warm red. He repeated this until his hands were crimson and dripping with the animals fluids. Cringing, he started digging his feet into the soft earth, digging a hole. When it was deep enough, he slid the animal into the pit, scraping the torn up earth over the body so Sari wouldn't see and Megatron couldn't find it.

He fired up his thrusters, flying back up to the cliff, careful not to touch any of the rock. Sari stood up and stepped back as he landed.

"What'd you do?"

"It doesn't matter now, just stay here, I vill speak to Megatron, zhen I vill come back for jou."

"…Okay,"

He took off back down the tunnel, running so he could get back before the blood dried.

Sari made sure he was gone before inching towards the edge of the cliff, looking down towards the bottom. Below, there was a spot of torn up ground, like he had buried something, and beside, was a puddle of blood mixing with the grass and soil. She held back a gag and quickly scooted away from the gory sight.

Blitzwing emerged into the main room to see Megatron introducing the new bots. Starscream's "brothers" were standing next to him, both of them chattering away at the magenta Seeker, who looked positively annoyed. Random snickered in his mind, Icy cleared his throat, getting back their attention.

"I'm done," he said coldly. He held up his hands, which glistened with fresh crimson which had begun to dribble down his arms.

Skywarp hid behind Starscream at the sight of "human" blood, whilst Starscream gave him a blank look.

"Clean that filth from your servos immediately and leave us be, I wish to speak to my second-in-command, alone."

He turned away to go back to his room, Lugnut and Blackarachnia closely following, the other bots thankfully going towards another tunnel.

Blitzwing let his fellow cons in before slamming and locking the door, and hurriedly going to the basin built into the wall. Blackarachnia was just as quick, reaching out and grabbing his wrist. He looked up, staring at her passively. She scratched her finger along his palm, rubbing the dried blood between her fingers and then smelling it. She looked up at him, an eye ridge raised skeptically.

"Deer blood? That's what you came up with?"

He defensively pulled his hand away, scrubbing it in the water turning it pink.

"Vhat did jou vant me to do? Ask Sari if she could spare a red crayon!?"

"Where is she?"

He pulled his arms out of the water and quickly wiped them off with a rag, throwing it on the floor hastily before hurrying to the door.

"I left her outside, I vill retrieve her,"

He paused to take her boots off the floor.

"And get her as far avay from here as possible."

She glared at him and leaped forward, blocking the door.

"Move! I don't have time for jour games!"

"Who do you think is standing out there right now?! You can't just leave, he'll find out one way or another you didn't kill her, and before you know it you'll be no better off than that deer buried outside!"

He raised his arm, tempted to push her out of the way. She stood her ground firmly, not moving while her words sank in.

"….I'll only be gone for thirty minutes, thirty-three tops. Right now, I need to put her safety before mine."

He walked around her and hurried out the door, running deeper into the mountain.

Sari was wrapping her blanket around herself, trying to keep warm which, was a hard thing to do because of the stone she was sitting on and the breeze whispering through the cliffs. The cut on her knee had dried and wasn't bleeding anymore, but it still hurt and stung. Yes, she was terrified that Megatron was back, what did that mean for the Autobots? Her dad? Detroit? The world?

She stared harshly at the doors, almost expecting the mechanical monster to burst out of them and attack. Answering her thoughts, the pounding of large footsteps started echoing from the doors.

She gasped slightly and quickly, unsteadily, stood up, prepared to run even though it wouldn't be much of a chase. Her knee wobbled, threatening to make her fall. The doors slid open and she instinctively took a step back from the towering form.

Her knee gave out, and she fell clumsily on her butt, which earned a small laugh from the figure standing a few yards in front of her. He walked forward, taking her by the scruff on her dress and raising her into an upright position.

"I leave jou for two minutes and jou're already getting injured,"

He commented, watching her rub the back of her head.

"I'm not injured, I just…tripped."

He snorted, disbelieving.

"Don't think I didn't see. Jou vere frightened by my, imposing form." he said smirking proudly.

She folded her arms crossly, muttering,

"Was not,"

He bitterly remembered why they were out there in the first place. He pulled her backpack over and shoved the footwear in, and then grabbing a hold of Sari, blanket and all in one go. He hurriedly jumped to his feet and ran around the mountains sharp edges, remembering his promise to Blackarachnia that he would be quick about it.

The rock path ended to a sheer drop just ahead, getting thinner and thinner with every step.

"Hold on to me!"

He commanded. She rapped her fist against his finger, yelling,

"Not that hard to do!"

He ignored her and took a flying leap off the edge, dropping into free space before transforming (Sari landing in his cockpit of course) and taking off towards the city.

In spite of the terrible situation and the fact that in a way, they were fleeing for their lives, Sari and Blitzwing enjoyed their flights together. Of course the only times they had been flying was when he had first kidnapped her a few months back, and the second time when she, him and Starscream had flown to the city and had taken her with them, and both of those times had been too tense to be pleasant.

Sari sat up and started pushing his chair back, trying to get him to recline his seat into a laidback position.

"All jou have to do iz ask," his voice reverberated around the cabin.

The pilot seat reclined backwards with a faint whirring noise. Sari laid down gratefully, snuggling against the cushy warm interior.

"Comfortable?" he asked.

Her response was a content sigh and her pulling the blanket up to her chin.

"I'm sorry ve could not spend any more time togezzer,"

"Nah, that's okay, I did have fun, especially out in the woods."

His chuckle was faintly heard before he spoke, saying,

"Yez, It vas quite enjoyable vasn't it? Vhat did jou call zhat vone game?"

"tag,"

"Ah, yez, tag. Zhat vas, as jou call it, fun."

She giggled before continuing, "You need to get out more Blitzwing,"

"But, ve are out, aren't ve?"

He just got a happy giggle in response.

"Vhat?"

"Nothing, you're such a robot,"

"Yez, zhat iz vhat I am."

She just laughed more.

With his pride stinging and HotHead muttering things in the back of his mind, he said,

"Fine, I shall refrain from speaking to jou." His cockpit became silent.

She stopped her giggling and sat up, looking at his dashboard.

"Aw, c'mon Blitzwing, I was just kidding,"

Silence.

She shrugged and laid back down on his seat, pulling the blanket up. The faraway sounds of air rushing by were the only thing to be heard. Not enjoying the silence between them, he tried restarting the conversation.

"How iz jour knee feeling?"

"It hurts,"

"Ve'll vill arrive in approximately twenty-five minutes. Until zhen, sleep. It vill relieve ze pain."

She nodded, feeling sleep beginning to take over. She pressed her nose against his seat, keeping her face warm.

"Cold?"

She didn't say anything but warm air started flowing through the cabin from his heating system on the dashboard.

"Thanks…" she murmured, stretching and letting out a small, girly yawn.

Random's giggle sounded off around her.

"What?"

"Oh nozzing, jou are juzt so cute vhen jou yawn, ahahaha!"

She rolled her eyes and turned so she was lying on her back, watching the stars shoot by.

"Shut up Random,"

"Okie dokie zhen!"

There was a faraway "_sshhickk_!" of him switching personalities, followed by his small embarrassed laugh.

It wasn't long before Sari was asleep and the forest was dwindling away behind them before turning into barren, tree and shrub-dusted plains, the only sign of civilization being the tiny set of train tracks far below.

The evening air was cool, not cold, just cool enough for his tastes. He never preferred excess heat when it was around as was the opposite for HotHead…speak of the devil.

**"VHAT ARE JOU GOING TO DO NOW JOU BUMBLING IDIOT?! MEGATRON IS BACK !! HAVE JOU NOT THOUGHT ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF LOVING A HUMAN CHILD?!"**

Icy hissed at him for silence, realizing he had spoken out loud. He listened absently to see if she had woken up from all the yelling, but she was quiet.

"_Do not blame me for things zhat cannot be helped. Jou love her just as much as I. That brute vill never find out, and if he does, zhen so be it."_

He muttered something but didn't say anything else.

The rest of the trip was silent, Random would start giggling for no reason at different intervals, but otherwise everything was quiet.

The gold and silver lights cast shadows over his chassis and armor, reflecting specs of purple, blue and black onto buildings he flew close to. Sumdac tower loomed ahead, its features more distinguished as it drew near. He let his mind wander and soon enough, he hovered outside her balcony.

"Vake Sari, ve are here."

She groaned annoyed and rolled over. He tilted his seat back up so she was forcibly sitting up.

"Can't we just circle around?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

He chuckled, saying, "No, not tonight, right now I am on a schedule."

The glass canopy flipped open with a hiss, letting in the chilly air. Grumbling, she managed to climb out and slowly walk across his wing and climbing onto her balcony. The window pane slid open letting her in. When she had set her backpack down, Sari turned to see him in robot-mode, arms crossed over the railing and covering the balcony.

"Isn't someone going to see you?"

"Ve are too high up to be seen, only if jou vere to look very closely."

Blackarachnia's voice suddenly filtered through his comm. link.

"_Megatron…!"_

She said through clenched teeth.

"_Understood."_

"I doubt ve vill be seeing each other very often, but I had a wonderful time vith jou."

Sari let go of her blanket, freeing her arms, and ran up to him, climbing up over his forearms until she was elevated enough to be at eye level with him.

"Yez?"

She grinned and placed her arms around the lower part of his face, at least trying to hug her. He laughed faintly, putting his hand on her back returning the gesture.

"I wish you could stay."

"As do I, but I really must be going."

She stepped back and hurried inside to get out of the way of takeoff.

He hovered for a minute, staring at her with glowing red optics.

"Tell jour autobot friends vhat has transpired tonight. Zhey need to know for zheir sake and especially jours."

"Okay, just be careful."

He turned his back on her in preparation of flying off.

"_Jou_ be careful!"

He shifted back into jet-mode before blasting off in a flurry of purple flames.

* * *

"So Starscream, the traitor," Megatron sneered folding his arms.

"Only because you are a fool! You never see the true potential in your own soldiers, too blinded by the cause of obtaining all the pieces of the Allspark and conquering Cybertron to look for any possible mutiny in your own warriors!"

"Easy, Starscream. It doesn't have to be this way," His tone was smooth and casual.

"…What are you getting at?"

"Come with me,"

He made a motion for him to follow, walking across the room towards his Throne-style chair.

"Please, by all means, sit."

Starscream shot a withering, suspicious look at him. What was he playing at?

He slowly stepped forward and seated himself on the chiseled purple rock. The elevation of it gave him a broad view of the main area and surrounding tunnels. It felt…powerful.

"How does it feel?"

He placed his arms on the rests, situating his back against the seat. A little big for him, but he would grow into it.

"It is…acceptable."

This earned a small laugh from the tyrant.

"You don't need to be modest with me Starscream. You crave power just as much as I, and though you have tried many times to eliminate me so you can have that power, I, am the one that can make it a reality."

Starscream kneaded his claw tips against the armrests.

"What're you saying?"

"I'm saying, that even Kings can not prevail forever. One day, somehow, I will fall, and I will need someone to take my place, as much as it upsets me, I must face it. And in honesty Starscream, I will tell you that you have most definitely proved yourself quite a candidate for such a position."

Starscream shifted, feeling uncomfortable at his generous tone.

"The Space bridge is complete, as far as I can see, together, nothing would stand in our way. And Cybertron is a large frontier as it is, when I conquer it, I know I will not be able to rule over all of it. Starscream…join me, as foolish as it seems, share the kingship with me. We will both hold great power, you and I. One side of Cybertron to ourselves, we will stay out of each other's way, and you will be granted the power you've ever dreamed of."

"_Who has taught him such persuasiveness? I feel like a doomed gazelle being cornered by a lion!"_

"It is tempting Megatron, but what of our Kin? They will not take to having two leaders."

"Under our combined rule and force, I doubt anybot would try and overthrow us."

In the back of his mind, Starscream said to himself,

"_Lion creeps closer to gazelle…"_

Starscream felt himself beginning to leave as Megatron's words slipped around his audios like liquid silk.

"Part of Cybertron at your feet Starscream, the possibilities are endless,"

"No…they would not follow,"

"They will,"

"_Lion unsheathes his claws, prepares to pounce,"_

"What is your answer Starscream? Who will you follow? Me, or will you be your own master?"

"_Ramjet has been training him,"_

Starscream mused faintly before letting his conscience surrender to Megatron's smooth and persuasive speech.

"I will do it."

Megatron smiled, his red optics flashing.

"Wise choice."

Before he left, Starscream thought quietly,

"_Lion leaps, gazelle dies." _

* * *

_The next morning…_

Sari slowly creaked open her eyes, feeling sore in several places. Her knee which was still dirty, her torso from Megatron and then Blitzwing clutching her too hard, and a stiff back from having slept on the floor outside of the window on the slight chance that Blitzwing would be back.

An almost overwhelming sense of sadness filtered through her head after stretching. Sari didn't know how old Blitzwing was, but he had sworn loyalty to Megatron a long time ago. She might never see him in a long time. And then what about Starscream? Was he okay? With someone such as Megatron being on Earth, a sense of almost doom seemed to be in the air, like a coming storm, but not knowing when or where its going to happen.

Sari finally managed to stand and get dressed beside her closet, stopping in the restroom to clean and put a yellow and orange band-aid on, which just so happened to have black curly "S's" on it.

"_I wonder if that Donald guy is driving the bus today,"_

She thought, jogging to the elevator.

She jumped out of the elevator into the lobby only to turn and duck back inside of it. Her dad was walking through the lobby, and, following behind him, was another man she didn't know. Must've been an interview of some sort. Especially after Powell had been fired and kicked out.

After he had left, Sari bounded across the room and leaped out the doors, not stopping until she reached the bus stop. She stood beside the bench, tapping her foot. It then occurred to her that it was Saturday. The buses didn't run on weekends, but the trains did, even so, the trip to the station would take too long. Stamping her boot in frustration, she began running towards the direction of the base.

Apparently, running in a dress with boots wasn't the best way to travel. She must've been just a few blocks away from her destination, but it was exhausting. Taking a few breaths, she began again, not stopping until she was leaning on the Autobot's fence, getting her breath back.

"Bumblebee!!" She yowled, running into the courtyard.

There was a pause, and then a blurred yellow shape ran by her, scooping her up as it went.

"What?! Are you okay?!" Bumblebee gasped, looking her up and down. She nodded,, saying in between gasps,

"Yeah..fine…need to….see…optimus!" she gasped out.

He nodded and ran back inside, where everyone else had emerged from their rooms to see what the noise was about.

"Sari? What's going on?" Optimus asked, stepping forward.

"You have to call the Elite Guard, Megatron is here!"

A gasp rippled through them until Optimus broke the silence, saying,

"Are you sure?"

"Yes! I saw him at the base and everything!"

Bumblebee gave her a quizzical look.

"Wait, I thought you told me that you spent the night at your dad's place, how did you see him?"

"Oh, I kinda need to tell you guys something…"

They all sat around in the furniture with Sari standing on the table, retelling her tale of how she had told them where she was, going to the decepticon base, playing in the woods with Blitzwing, watching a movie, going to bed, and then to the point where she hid behind his chair and then how he found her.

"And then Blitzwing took me home, and Megatron said he wanted to talk to Starscream alone, so I don't know what happened after that."

They all stared at her with wide mouths and optics, looking at her like she was a stranger who had just told them all of this. Finally, Bumblebee broke the silence with,

"They brainwashed her!! Oh! Its just like in that one movie we saw that one time!!"

"Can it, kid!" Ratchet snapped.

"Other than the fact that you spent the night with _Decepticons_,"

Optimus said, narrowing his optics angrily.

"She's right, we need to contact the Elite Guard and see how much longer its going to take before they get here."

"They're already coming?" Sari asked.

Optimus nodded.

"They said that they'd be here soon, but now that Megatron is back on Earth, we're going to need all of their help."

"You don't really think that just another ninja-bot, an old rust bucket, and a bot with a huge chin will help us beat Megatron, do you?"

Bumblebee said, counting off Jazz, Ultra Magnus, and Sentinel on his fingers.

For once, Optimus managed a small smile.

"Who said just those three are coming?"

A ripple of surprise, including Ratchet, washed around the room.

"There are more?" Sari asked.

He nodded.

"From what they've told me, they have _everyone_ coming to help fight."

"Do you mean everyone, as in-" Prowl started.

"That's right. On board the ship, there are Jazz, Sentinel, Ironhide, Perceptor, CliffJumper, MainFrame, Wheeljack, and a femme by the name of Arcee."

No one noticed Ratchet's small shocked gasp.

"But what about the other Autobots already here?" Bumblebee asked.

"Maybe the Dinobots could help," Bulkhead suggested.

"And lets not for get we have a garbage-bot at the bottom of the bay outside of Detroit." Prowl said, crossing his arms.

"And then again, we have Rodimus's team to think about." Ratchet said.

"I know, I know, you all have good points, but for now we need to focus on what's at hand now. If we have to, we'll rescue the bot that's under the river," Optimus said, looking at Prowl.

"And if we need to, we'll look for the Dinobots." he finished, looking at Bulkhead who nodded.

"And then what about Rodimus? And Red Alert and HotShot?" Bumblebee asked, grinning at the chance of seeing the fiery 'bot again.

"I haven't word on them, but from what The Elite Guard has told me, they were last seen defending a space bridge from one of Megatron's Elite Teams. Something happened with Rodimus's transmission, and they lost the connection."

Bumblebee shifted nervously, thinking of his two boot-camp-mates HotShot and Ironhide. Ironhide had never been the nicest mech, but after Wasp was taken away, he became more hospitable towards him, and then HotShot had always been friendly.

"When will they be here?" Bulkhead asked.

"Just a few short Megacycles by my guess."

"And you said that, Arcee, was coming?" Ratchet asked, trying to make his voice sound subtle and uncaring.

"At least that's what Sentinel told me, why?"

Everyone looked at him, wondering why he would ask about her.

"Because maybe it would a nice change if we could have femme on the team rather than a bunch of over-reactive young 'mechs!" he snapped, putting on his usual cranky aura.

Classic Ratchet.

* * *

Blitzwing sharply woke up from an uneasy sleep. A quick glance at his internal clock told him it was only nine-thirty or so. He had gone straight to bed after flying back to base and after enduring Blackarachnia's pestering questions and nagging.

The rest, if you could call it that, had been light and gave him a queasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"_**Get off your aft, you Pansy!!" **_HotHead snapped inside of his mind.

"_Iz SOMeONe Not feeLING VELL?! HAHA!"_

Icy just groaned and stood up, rubbing his head and walking outside through a personal doorway hidden inside of an alcove he had. It led down a small hill that was sandy at first, but shifted into grass a few meters from the tree-line. Not really having a destination, he just started walking.

His wandering led him a good two or three miles into the woods, but he didn't seem to care.

The sound of trickling water caught his audios, and he began following it. A small, circular grove concealed a sparkling river where on occasion, a silvery fish would peek out of the water to catch bugs for food. The trees were more delicate and were laced with cherry blossoms, the grass being a lighter shade of green, or, "baby grass", as Sari would call it.

Blitzwing sat beside the river, staring into its icy depths. Out of curiosity, he dipped his hand in it and continued until he touched the bottom. The water level rose to about his wrist, and the water itself didn't have a very strong current, nor was it cold.

"_Sari vould like to explore around here," _

He pulled his servo out and flicked the water off of it. A small blue-jay landed beside his hand, pecking his finger curiously. Hothead egged him on to squish the little animal, and Random suggested that they bring it back to base as a pet, but he ignored both, just studying the baby animal as it looked at him. It hopped onto his finger and stayed there, gazing at him curiously.

"Hello," he said.

The baby bird cocked his head but otherwise remained on his perch.

All at once, a much bigger bird fluttered out of the branches and started squawking at the smaller bird. The baby chirped back before hopping towards its mother. Blitzwing watched them curiously before they flew back up to their nest.

"Cute little organic. Reminds me of _my_ little organic," he said smirking.

"_i Mizz hEr!"_

"…_**.as do I."**_

His personas told him.

"…I know." Icy agreed

* * *

"I presume you know who your parents were Starscream," said Megatron as he led the magenta Seeker down the black and purple hallways of Shockwave's ship. After he had agreed to Megatron's plan, he had told him that he wanted to, "inform" him of his "history".

"Yes, I don't remember them very well, but I do know my father was the Pit's greatest accomplishment, and my mother was so kind you would've thought that she was an Autobot." he said, his tone softening.

"Yes, that is about right. Who your father was made me consider choosing you for my team."

"Why?"

"I could see that through him, you had great, very promising potential."

They came to a stop at the end of the dimly-lighted hall, but it ended at a blank black and purple wall.

"And why, might I ask, did you lead me to a dead-end?"

Megatron only smiled and held his finger in front of it. A small keypad slid out, he typing in the code.

The key-bar slid back into its compartment, and a pair of doors slid open, revealing a circular room.

"T o show you your true past, and how you came into being what you are now."

He walked into the room, Starscream closely following and looking around in awe.

Pictures. Photos and other artifacts were in a museum fashion around the shelves and stands. Starscream stopped near the front of the doors as they slid shut, letting his optics wander around the room in silent amazement.

Megatron stood in the very center of the room with his back to Starscream, his hands being clasped behind his back. Without turning around, he asked,

"I am here, to tell you of your relation to Unicron."

* * *

_"A bad father has never a good son"_ -Latin Proverb

* * *

**Ugh, now I find this chapter very boring and unsatisfactory. I apologize to everyone with this bad, (and annoyingly short) chapter. Anyway, so now Starscream gets to find out about his past, and as Megatron said, his "relation to Unicron". Don't be too upset about this chapter, the next one will be more exciting with a slew of arriving characters. **


	3. A Dark Promise

**

* * *

**

I sincerely apologize to everyone for such lateness. Belueve me, I had this just about finished a month ago when something went wrong with my computer and when it came back, it had chopped 30 pages all the way back to 8. I've been spending all this month re-typing it, and I promise this won't happen again. Transformers animated belongs to Hasbro, I own nothing.

* * *

"_We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell"_

_-Oscar Wilde_

* * *

"What _relation_?!" Starscream spat, though the fear in his voice was evident. No one rarely mentioned his name, if not ever. It struck a chord of fear even in Starscream.

"Take a look around you Starscream. Many of these pieces of history are yours, you merely have to look close enough."

The magenta Seeker warily walked up to the nearest picture. After focusing, he took a step back.

Burning crimson optics glared back at him with such malice they seemed alive. The thing's armor was a sickly shade of gold and stormy grey. Spikes and other thorny armor shone over its body, particularly on the claws and head. The strangest thing was that it had wings too, that is, if you could call them wings. They were similar to bat wings, only without the translucent webbing in between. Only the thin fingers of bone-like metal were there, almost like a skeletal appearance. The being also seemed to be standing on one of Cybertron's moons. It occurred to Starscream that this…this thing, was big. Very, very big, even on Cybertronian standards. Not only was the size unnerving, it was just…something about this 'bot, if he even was one, made his head hurt and every last tiny plate of armor on his body shiver with an unknown chill.

What you are looking at is Unicron."

Starscream jumped and jerked to the side, startled.

"Oh…"

"One of the largest, and lets not forget, evil mechs in history. His alt mode was that of a planet, roughly the size of Earth's moon if not much larger."

"Oh…" Starscream quietly said again.

Megatron turned away from Unicron's painting to look at the pictures and artifacts beyond.

"You should look at these photos Starscream, your Parent's story, and eventually yours, is written within them,"

The grey mech walked back to the center gazing into space. Starscream watched him for a minute before turning to the artwork besides Unicron's. The scene was of Cybertron, only by the look of it, everything was flourishing. In the sky, faint winged scribbles were everywhere. Something told him they were Seekers and other fellow fliers.

"_Your story….." _Megatron's words echoed in his mind. Starscream placed a hand on the frame, listening as the pictures began to tell his tale…

* * *

_Many Generations ago… _

* * *

_A young Seeker sparkling flew low to the ground, the gift of flight being new to her. _

_The small flier sped through the street, occasionally having to run due to her wings beginning to tire. All of the adults around her called out to her to slow down or watch where she was going, but she ignored their calls. _

"_From underneath the trees, we'd watch the sky, confusing stars, and sad lights,"_

_The gates that led out to the Valleys of the Elite, a place where Mechs and Femmes went to be together, have their young born, and for training. She bolted through the gates, running past towers of rock and iron alike, even trees were scattered throughout the valleys, the organic plants being collected from the farthest explorations of the galaxies. _

_Way off in the distance, cliffs of varying size and color were situated, Seekers constantly landing and taking off on them. Everyone else called them the Crags of Kaon, due to its inhabitants._

_The female sparkling finally stopped at a piece of iron jutting from the ground like rock, standing up on it and gazing down the hills at the Elite Valleys._

"_Whoa…" She said._

_The Valleys of the Elite were the only organic places on Cybertron, built just for the Seekers and Fliers and for any ground-dwelling mech or femme that wished to come. Everyone was welcome. Mountains of iron and steel alike framed the horizon, and even in the valley they were in, the shape of the structures being almost sculpted looking, since the Seekers themselves had used their null rays and the fire from their thrusters to shape them to their liking. _

_A long, seemingly everlasting carpet of grass was everywhere, concealing the true metal hidden underneath. Above all, the sky was wide open and welcoming, the fiery planets that passed by every few hours provided perfect lighting, turning the sky a milky, royal blue tinged with red and orange. _

_A flurry of wind rushed by her, making the femme look up to see one Flier land gracefully in front of her. _

"_Hello Silversong." His voice was smooth and wise, betraying his true young age and health. _

_Silversong smiled at the sound of her name. As it was, her entire small frame was a brilliant silver, save for her optics which were a pleasant blue. Her dainty wings were angled upward, ending in small points. A pleasant magenta stripe curved down both of them. Her chest was also magenta with black outlining her white-glass spark covering, matching her slightly pointed thrusters. _

"_Hi Skydive! Have you seen BurnSpark around?" she asked hopefully. _

"_Yes I have. He was near the pond, with the other younglings."_

"_Thanks!" Turning on her heel, she half bolted, half flew down the hill across the plain, eager to see her best friend. _

_An especially small Seeker sparkling sat by himself on the pond shore, head drooped. "Runt!" "Pipsqueak!" "You call those wings?" They all had said. BurnSpark was use to it. He had always been the smallest of the other fliers, which resulted in him being banned from most activities. His mother always told him he would grow up to be the biggest and fastest flier, but he never believed it. _

_Looking down at the water, he looked at his glossy armor. Small claws tipped his fingers, similar to his sharply angled feet. His optics were a bright crimson, going well with his dark grey plating. His wings were also angled upward, ending in sharpened points, a black stripe running down each of them. Four crests, two on his head, one on each side of his face, resided on his black helm and grey, long-chinned face. The majority of his body was black and grey with outlines of red , but the glass covering on his Spark chamber was a brilliant amber color. _

_He sighed, wiping at his cheek, when a sudden weight pinned him on his back. He flipped around, hissing ready to fight off his attacker when a familiar laugh went into his audios. _

* * *

"_Some lovers are meant to be, and its only fair to see,_

* * *

"_You're so easy to scare!" Silversong giggled, climbing off of him. _

"_I was not scared! I knew you were going to do that, so I let you."_

_She pranced around him in a circle, saying,_

"_Just keep telling yourself that, Sparky."_

_Normally, he hated the name, but when it came from her, he loved it._

* * *

"_That's what everyone's telling me, stay my baby."_

* * *

"_Think fast!" she shouted, pouncing on him. Snarling, they both rolled back and forth on the ground, battering at each other with their small fists and wings. Finally tiring of their battle, they sat beside each other, looking at their reflections._

* * *

"_Even though it's a little rushed, let me know that you'll keep in touch, if you don't it'll hurt too much, stay my baby."_

* * *

"_You know Silversong, even when we get really old, I want to stay friends with you forever."_

_Silversong playfully batted him on the side of his head._

"_Yeah, forever and ever and ever." she purred, rubbing her small head against his shoulder. Humming faintly, he rubbed his head on hers, both of enjoying each other's company._

* * *

"_Everything will be okay, everything will be all right, I know that it'll go my way if you stay my baby, I'm never gonna give you up, I'm never gonna have enough, so now 'till forever, stay my baby."_

* * *

_Twenty-two millenniums later…_

_Silversong stood waiting in line like the others. Over the stellar-cycles, she had grown well. Her body long, sleek, and gleaming, her wings gracefully angled near the sky. The sound and vibration of footsteps reached her audios. Looking up, she saw BurnSpark gracefully making his way over to her. Those many stellar-cycles of wishing and training had paid off. Besides herself, he was one of the top in the class._

* * *

"_I've just seen a face I can't forget the time and place we just met, she's just the girl for me and I want all the world to see we've met, mmmhhmm."_

* * *

_He was deep in chest and the muscle showed clearly through his black and grey armor. His thighs started thin but then broadened out into larger forelegs, his spiked knee guard protecting the joint. His feet were black, ending in a sharp point. His arms matched his brawny legs, his upper arm grey, before continuing into a muscular black forearm, the black ending at his finger line, that is, if you could call them fingers. Instead, he had long, grey claws._

* * *

"_It might've been another day, I might've looked the other way but as it is I'll dream of her tonight,"_

* * *

_But one of the most eye-catching things was definitely his face plates. Though no one ever teased him about it in front of him, he had one of the longest chins a Cybertronian could have. But besides that, his optics were a bright glowing shade of pure crimson, and his wings had grown very much as well, a sharp, claw-like point extending up from the tip, and then another sharp tip grew downwards directly below the top one._

_Ground-dwellers and fliers alike admired him for his speed, strength, cleverness of tongue and charm, and his looks. But he only had optics for Silversong._

* * *

"_I have never known the likes of this I've been alone and I have missed things and kept out of sight, but other girls were never quite like this, mmmhhmmhhmm."_

* * *

"_Hello Silversong." The only flaw that seemed to be with him was his voice. It was slightly scratchy as if he had a sore throat but no one seemed to care._

"_Hey Burnspark," they quickly embraced each other before their teacher could catch them. He turned his optics skyward, admiring the azure expanse. "Today should be a great day for my skills." he said casually. She gave him a playful punch on the arm._

"_Full of it much?"_

"_Maybe," he said, flashing her his famous smirk. _

* * *

"_Falling, yes I am falling, and she keeps calling, me back again."_

* * *

"_Fliers! To your positions!" their sergeant called out. The two Seekers took their place besides each other, crouched to the ground in preparation of take-off. _

"_Go!" he yowled._

_The two of them spread their glorious wings, light reflecting off of them, and took off in a burst of black and silver flames. _

_Chaar's light warmed their wings and filled the sky with light. Burnspark and Silversong flew side by side, waiting for the simulation to begin now that they were in the air. A shrill whistling suddenly filled the air. Both Seekers sharply banked to either side to avoid the missile hurtling towards. It exploded less than ten yards away. It was only pink paint, but Burnspark hated it. _

_A female hiss caused him to turn around, seeing Silversong, his future mate, being attacked by one of his classmates. Roaring, he swooped downward and drove his claws into the wing membranes of his foe. His fellow student yowled in pain and surprise before sharply turning to face his assailant. Silversong saw her chance and lifted herself up a few feet, positioning her thrusters directly at his neck. Sucking in a deep breath, she pumped out a thick stream of silver fire onto the attacker. _

_The bot squealed and kicked away from Burnspark's crushing embrace. The two of them watched as the flier glided down and landed near their medic, a red and white, blue optic ground dweller. _

_A soft hand placed itself on her shoulder. Looking over, he saw his friend smiling at him._

"_Thanks,"_

"_of course."_

"_Now, let us show these nano-mite bitten failures why they should fear us!" she said, white, sparkling flames dancing out of her feet._

_The black and grey Seeker growled his agreement. He dove downwards, ready to attack the drones on the ground when a blast of smoggy purple fire burned his wing. He whirled around to face his new attacker. _

"_Hello Blackwind."_

"_Hello Burnspark." _

_Blackwind was one of Burnspark's top rivals and competitors in class. His armor was a dark, bruised purple. He had two, handle-like horns on his head, pure crimson optics and two purple katanas on his back. _

"_I an tired of Teacher always lavishing over your "skills". now it is my turn."_

"_I think not!" he spat._

_Hissing, Burnspark fired up his thrusters and charged his enemy. For some reason, Blackwind just hovered there, smirking. When he was several yards away, a blast of grey fire scorched his waist, sending him tumbling to the side. He regained altitude and flew back up beside Silversong, who had her optics locked onto the newcomer._

"_Greetings Silversong."_

"_Well met, Razorbreeze."_

_Razorbreeze, not only being Blackwind's mate, but Silversong's most hated enemy. Her armor was similar to Blackwind's, a light, dusty-gray purple with matching red optics. She was considerably small, her wings were so delicate, she relied mostly on her thrusters to keep her up. _

_The four of them circled each other warily, waiting for the other to make a move. Couple vs. couple. _

_Blackwind was the first to make a move, drawing his glowing purple katanas and taking a swipe at his chassis. Burnspark smoothly wound around the attack, reached out, and grasped him in a crushing embrace. The two Seekers hissed and snapped at one another's necks, trying to gain the advantage. Maneuvering his null-ray around, he stabbed the knife-like point into Blackwind's chassis. _

_Blackwind's yowls of fury turned into squeals of pain as the sharp metal drove itself into circuitry. _

"_Do you see why Teacher praises me so much?" Burnspark hissed into his foe's audio receptor._

_Silversong was faring no better than Blackwind. She was strong, but Razorbreeze was too fast, too nimble. She darted around, nipping and scratching at weak and sensitive joints. Finally having enough, and in a bought of speed, the silver femme lashed out and grabbed her attacker by the neck. The light purple Seeker squealed and flailed around. Growling, she reached around over her back, and slashed her small wings, reducing them to ribbons. She had considered breaking her neck, but pushed the thought away. This was a training session, serious injuries were prohibited. Crying out, Razorbreeze began dropping towards the iron ground. Blackwind brought up his legs and kicked Burnspark away before turning down to catch her. The ground was too close, and though he caught her, they crashed and rolled to the ground, landing in a bloody heap. _

_Burnspark and Silversong gracefully spiraled around one another until they landed side by side on the ground beside their defeated opponents. Their medic, grumbling oaths to himself, marched up and kneeled beside Blackwind._

"_I wish you young 'bots wouldn't hurt each other so much. Every time I heal a dent or scratch, another one pops up!" he growled, taking out a small welder and sealing shut one of Blackwind's many cuts and gouges. _

"_We're sorry Ratchet. We just got a little carried away, that's all." Said Silversong._

_Ratchet snorted and began wrapping aluminum gauze around Razorbreeze's neck._

"_Burnspark! Silversong! Here, now!" Their teacher shouted at them._

_Dragging their feet, they slunk over towards their instructor to see what he had to say. _

"_What were you two thinking?! You could've killed them!" he snapped._

"_We're sorry AirRaid, it won't happen agai-"_

"_You were both amazing!"_

_The two Seekers shot each other confused looks._

"_You're serious?" asked Burnspark. _

"_Of course I am! I've never seen such a display of strength Burnspark, and such grace from you Silversong, well done, both of you."_

_They shot each other incredulous looks, not believing their luck._

"_Thank you sir."_

"_Yeah yeah, now enough of this. You are both dismissed for the day." said AirRaid, waving a hand at them._

_Smiling, they both fired up their thrusters and took off towards the forest, listening to the faraway shouting of AirRaid as he scolded Blackwind and Razorbreeze._

_They landed gracefully in a small clearing in the middle of a small "forest" of exotic and extraterrestrial plants. They lay side by side on their backs on the grass-layer, staring up at the darkening sky. Silversong turned onto her side, pressing her face against his shoulder, inhaling his pleasant, spicy scent. _

"_I love you." she murmured into his black armor._

_He kissed her forehead and looked into her azure optics. _

"_And I you, my rose."_

_For a moment, everything was quiet and peaceful as stars of varying colors started appearing in the broad expanse of sky above them. _

"_Silversong,"_

"_Yes?"_

"_When our training is done, would you come with me?"_

"_Come with you?"_

"_I have always had the wish of exploring other worlds that could be out there. Have you heard of the organic-water-planet that our scientists recently found?"_

"_Yes, I have. Very primitive, with small, strange creatures that they call mammals and reptiles. Or "animals"." _

"_Yes, but it is very beautiful there."_

"_How do you know this?"_

"_Skyfire. The top scientist. He's made plenty of trips there already, and claims so. Rivers, oceans, forests, valleys, I want to know, if you would live there with me."_

_She looked at him with disbelief and wonderment in her blue optics. _

"_Us? Live there?"_

"_I love you Silversong. I only wish for a home equally beautiful." he said, looking at her with gleaming crimson optics._

"_I wouldn't want anything else." she sighed, closing her optics as visions of sparkling rivers and waterfalls, mountains, and expanses of blue sky danced in her mind._

_He kissed her forehead gently before looking back up at the night sky. _

"_I wouldn't either, just the two of us, an entire world for our own."_

_She looked away when he said that, not sure how to tell him the news._

"_Burnspark I…"_

"_What is it?"_

"_You see, it might not just be us when we get there," she said, looking sorrowful yet joy flickered faintly in her optics._

"_What do you mean?"_

"_I…I need to tell you, I'm preg-"_

_An enormous explosion violently shattered the nighttime peace, making the ground beneath them shiver. Faintly in the distance, sounds of screaming reached their audios. Both Seekers leaped to their feet as the bushes beside them started shaking. The leaves parted and a small, green messenger bot stood there._

"_Burnspark, Silversong! Thank Primus I found you!" he gasped as if he had just run a long distance. _

"_What is it? Who's attacking?" Burnspark demanded._

"_I don't know! Its Kaon, they have been bombed, and they require every available Seeker's help, come quickly!" he said, running back through the bushes and not even bothering to see if they were following or not._

_Shooting each other concerned looks, they fired up their thrusters and shot up into the night sky. They cleared the tree line easily, and when they did, they could see all the commotion occurring._

_Dozens of groups of fliers and Seekers were flying towards the western horizon where the city of Kaon lay. Only now the city had taken an a sickly orange glow from the fires burning in all the major buildings and streets. Even from their vast distance, panicked cries and shouted orders could be hard. With dread in their Sparks, they took towards the capital city. _

_***_

_Even before they landed, ground and air commanders alike started shouting rushed orders at them. They alighted on a charred and cracked street. Fliers and ground-bots alike were running about, helping the injured, grimly removing dead bodies from the initial attack, and trying to gather and comfort the sparklings with their missing or dead parents. Silversong looked mournfully at the city she had loved to visit so much as a youngling. Fluid gathered at the corners of her azure optics as she gazed at the carnage around her. Burnspark slowly walked forward to stand beside her._

"_Who would do this?" she whispered. _

_He shook his head._

"_I don't know who or would do this, but the council will be angry…and confused. Our cities and planet have been so peaceful since the Quintessons left us, that no one will be quite sure how to handle this sudden act of terrorism, or who could've brought it upon us."_

_She nodded, looking away. Just across the street, a small Seeker sparkling stumbled forward on the sidewalk, its small winged body covered in small scrapes and burns. Her breath caught with concern as she quickly walked forward to help. She halted two paces away as a medi-bot quickly stooped down and picked up the youngling, carrying it over to the nearby medics. _

_She watched him take the youngling away, just as a small movement occurred within the depths of her chest. She closed her optics and placed a delicate hand on her Spark Chamber, thinking of the life form slowly growing inside. _

"_Silver,"_

_She turned at the sound of her nickname he gave her. _

"_We should help." _

_She nodded. She would tell him after this was all sorted out. _

_One hour went by in almost near silence, none of the bots really communicating or talking. Just working._

"_Look! Over there!"_

_Everyone stopped in their cleaning to look. At the very end of the main street they were one, cloaked in shadows, was a bot. Even through the darkness, his large muscles could clearly be seen, along with the large cannon mounted on his arm, and the twin swords mounted on his back. His armor was unnerving; a combination of ashen grey, black, and crimson red. His equally red optics stared balefully and maliciously at the crowd assembled. _

_No one moved, waiting for the other to say or do something. Finally, the grey mech raised his arm with the large cannon situated on it, and fired. The blast took out the entire section of buildings on the corner. Everyone ducked and instinctively covered their optics at the explosion. _

"_It was him." Burnspark growled under his breath. _

_A loud war-cry pierced the night as a small green flier fired up his thrusters, bouts of green fire bursting from behind as he angrily winged his way towards the grey bot. He ignored the calls of warning to come back. As he neared the much larger mech, he just smiled, preparing. _

_The small bot snarled again but was immediately cut off with a gagging noise. The large grey-bot had whipped out and grasped him by the neck in his enormous hand. The terrified flier took a look at his optics. The horrible, flaming red, completely devoid of emotion, except for disgust, rage, and glee. With a loud crunch, he snapped the bot's neck, tossing the now grayed body into the street in front of him. _

_Everyone stared transfixed at the sudden death before a Sparkling cried out and said,_

"_Look look! Who those other flirs?" his young, underdeveloped glossa turning his words into an almost incoherent sentence. Everyone followed his words, and sure enough, they saw thirteen more Seekers came rising out of the depths of the blacked out city behind the grey mech. Around him, they started cheering, thinking that these had managed to sneak around. Burnspark knew better. Something didn't feel right. As they were upon the city, they open fired. _

_Ground-bots were screaming orders as Seekers took flight to battle their new enemy. Burnspark charged ahead of everyone else, thinking to himself,_

"_They will pay. None of them will escape me alive."_

_He rammed head on into a pure red one. It went crazy, slashing at his wings, digging its claws under his collar, spraying bouts of red fire at his chest. Burnspark brought up his own feet and slammed them into the crimson flier's pelvis, robbing him of his breath and caving in the metal. Not stopping, he darted around him and ripped his wing off his body. The 'bot fell bloody and screaming to the ground. Through the fray of airborne carnage, he saw the enormous grey mech, the one that had initiated the attack. _

"_This one will not escape me either." he vowed. _

_He charged, angling downward so as to hit him head-on. The larger mech just stood there, staring blankly with his cold crimson optics. Burnspark stretched out his long grey claws, getting ever closer until;_

_thwack!!_

_The grey 'bot had swiftly reached out and snagged him by the throat, steadily squeezing. The grey Seeker struggled in his grip, snapping insults and curses during his attempt to get free._

"_Traitor! Murderer! Spawn of the Pit! Go back to where you came from!!" he snarled, thrashing all the wilder. He stymied his squirming when he realized they were getting higher, above the city. They stopped at least a league over the city, where the streets below turned into long, winding pieces of string dyed orange from the fires. It was then that he was released. _

_Burnspark quickly jerked back and hovered away, tensing, ready for the attack. But then, the grey mech spoke._

"_You have no reason to fear me Burnspark. I wish to help you as a matter of fact." _

_The mech's voice was smooth and cold, and full of eerie persuasiveness. _

"_What do you mean! You unleash Hell and fire onto Kaon and you bring me up here alone to me you mean no harm?! Tell me the truth! What is the purpose of all of this!?"_

_The bot's face grew solemn as he looked at with wary optics._

"_I am trying to preserve your Kin."_

_Now this caught him by surprise, but not for very long._

"_What do you mean preserve? Even as we speak your soldiers slaughter them! Just who are you?"_

"_I suppose you have the right to know. I am Megatron, Savior of the Seekers."_

_Burnspark stared. Was this mech mad? _

"_What do you mean savior?! You unleash an attack onto our capital city and you tell me that you are trying to save us?! Save us from what!?" he demanded. Megatron narrowed his optics in hate before saying,_

"_The Autobots."_

"_Autobots?"_

"_It is the name we have given the ground-dwellers, for obvious reason and because of their physical appearances. But they are envious of you and your kind."_

"_of what?"_

"_They think that you Seekers are unique, and they are wise to think so, but their jealousy is escalating every day. As peaceful as things seem now, a war is brewing on the horizon, one that will exterminate you and your race forever."_

_Burnspark shook his head, not wanting to believe it. The ground-bots? Jealous? They wouldn't dare let their envy get in the way of their morals. Condemning an entire species to the Void was unthinkable. Then again, they had their weapons and intelligence. If they wanted to, they could start a war._

"_I don't understand, I…I want proof!" he finally snapped. A thick, grey data-pad was pushed into his face. The screen was on and glowed a translucent green. _

"_You will find all of your proof in there." said Megatron. _

_Information started flashing and scrolling by at an alarming rate, though he captured all of it. Things that really caught his attention were things such as;_

_Send hunting parties; north of Iacon, have weapons and tranquilizers ready_

_Cleansing of Prius; kill all females; smash any un-hatched Sparkling eggs_

_Starvation; draining of oil and energon reserves_

_Goal and mission; leave no Seeker alive; eliminate Flier threat_

_Burnspark would've shattered the pad in his claws had not Megatron taken it away at that moment. He clutched his black helm, anger and betrayal broiling through his blood, making his wings quiver and extra fire burst from his thrusters._

"_Do you see now the their intensions? They wish to exterminate you, take Cybertron for themselves. Is this what you want?"_

_Burnspark responded with a savage battle roar. Crimson optics blazing with dread, rage and revulsion, he said,_

"_I do not wish to fire upon my earth-bound allies Megatron. But I will help and do what I must to preserve my kith and kin."_

"_Excellent." Megatron said in a low, purring voice. _

_Silversong wheeled and cart wheeled in the smoggy air. Everywhere there was chaos. Friends couldn't tell from enemies. The majority of her body was bloody and slashed, though she couldn't tell if the blood was hers or not. She ducked out of the way as a null-ray blast streaked past her wing. One thing she noticed was that The Seekers and the…Anti-Seekers, the thirteen of them, didn't seem to be aiming for them. No, they seemed more intent on attacking the ground-bot forces and more or less fighting the other fliers in forms of self-defense. Silversong shook her head, making confused formations in the air. The battle was becoming very unfocused and confusing every nano-click. _

_A loud roar pierced the smoky night air. Looking up she saw Burnspark. But he was different, changed even. Worst, the grey mech flew some distance behind him, though he didn't appear to be giving chase. _

"_Brothers and sisters! Hear my plight and make it your call! We are fighting this battle on the wrong side!" he yowled, hovering above everyone elese. The fighting on the ground continued, while the remaining Seekers looked up at him._

"_What are you talking about!" one of them called out._

"_We need not to fear these thirteen warriors. The autobots are our true enemies!"_

_Silversong shook her head. Who was this mech?!_

"_What the slag is an autobot?"_

"_The earth-bound vermin you see below us. They are no longer our allies, but our targets! They wish to exterminate the Seeker race! Smash your Sparkling-eggs, slaughter our mates and younglings and eradicate us from Cybertron! Will you stand by and let this take place?!"_

_Already roars of outrage and defiance echoed around. "Then join me! Preserve our race! Defend what is ours! Charge!!" _

_A small tear rolled down Silversong's face as the surprised screams of "Autobots" echoed around as their own allies began bombarding them from the sky. Through the bloody chaos, she spotted Burnspark grappling with a dark green ground-bot. She quickly dived down, yowling his name. Mistaking her for an enemy, one of them shot a dozen rounds into her left wing and waist. She gasped and floundered in the sky, before immediately beginning to plummet downwards. She tasted blood in her mouth, Burnspark calling her name as the ground rushed towards her, then darkness. _

_Megatron hovered thousands of feet above the heart of Kaon, smiling at the bloody carnage below him, listening to the bloody cries of victory coming from the Seekers as if it were pleasant music. A spot of movement caught his attention near the north. Turning, he spotted Burnspark holding a limp Femme's body, flying deeper north. Megatron snorted. Let him go, he would retrieve him later. A few more screams and clashing of weaponry echoed up to him from the city. _

_Megatron smiled, and brushed away a swath of blood from his chest, revealing a spiked, purple symbol._

"_Only the beginning."_

* * *

_Four millenniums later…_

_Silversong stepped out of headquarters and onto the launching ledge. She took a deep breath. The barren metal landscape was boring and plain, the only scents were that of burnt steel and rubber. It reminded her of those four millenniums ago, when Burnspark had left her. She had been in so much pain, she could only remember it in fragments. _

_Landing on a barren plain near wrought iron boulders, Burnspark sealing her wounds, informing her of what had transpired above the city…_

_She hadn't believed him, told him not to trust "Megatron" he didn't listen._

_Morning came, Two Seekers, whose names she didn't know, arriving, Megatron leading them. Burnspark following, leaving her there, promising to be back later. Never did. Surviving Autobots taking her in. being one of the few Seekers who had volunteered to aid the Autobots. _

"_Silversong!" _

_The silver femme shook herself free of the bad memories at the call of her name. Razorwind hurried up to her. Razorwind and her mate, Blackwind, had also joined. She and the light purple flier had managed to form a sort of pact through the stellar cycles. There was no room for distrust in the ranks during the war. Silversong watched as her friend stopped in front of her, holding a small bundle in her arms._

"_I would like you to see my son before you leave." she said. Razorwind had been blessed with a Sparkling that had hatched from its steel-shell-encasing the night before. Silversong peered over at the Sparkling. It had dark purple armor, the exact color of his father's, though outlined with black on other parts of his small body. Small wings were on the back of his upper arms, giving him a more edged appearance. The youngling also had two large horns on his head, just like Blackwind's, though he had his mother's pure red optics. _

_The Sparkling cooed and reached out curiously to her. Silversong quietly laughed and stroked the youngling's helm before backing away towards the ledge to take off and resume her patrol. _

"_Please don't leave so soon, Blackwind is coming here now, he has a name for him, wouldn't you like to hear?"_

"_No, I will hear when I return."_

"_Very well, I await your arrival."_

_Silversong bid her friend goodbye before launching herself from the iron ledge, taking off into the slightly smoggy air. _

_Razorwind thoughtfully watched her for a minute before turning back to her son. _

"_Razorwind!" she looked up._

_Blackwind quickly jogged to his mate's side, greeting her with a quick kiss on her temple._

"_Has Silversong left?"_

"_Yes she has."_

_Blackwind sighed with disappointment._

"_A shame. I wish she could've stayed long enough to hear the naming of our son." _

_She patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, she will hear when she comes back. Now, what is the name you have chosen?"_

_They both looked down at their child who gurgled and happily reached out his small arms to them._

_Blackwind smiled and said,_

"_His name shall be Cyclonus."_

* * *

_Silversong, glided silently over the land, watching for any enemies. But nowadays, she did that on habit. She shook her head bitterly at the foul memories of stellar-cycles before. Why would he do it!? She grimaced again. A sharp kick hit the inside of her Spark chamber. She closed her optics an put her hand on her chest. Any day now, her baby would be due. Sparklings were so rare, this was surely to be appreciated, but what if it turned out to be another Burnspark. She couldn't handle the loss of her son or daughter, (depending) betraying her to the enemy Seekers. _

_She neared the border. She started banking, preparing to turn around and begin exploring more to the west when a blip passed over her scanners. She studied the signature for a moment, before gasping, the air leaving her vents in shock. It couldn't be…_

_Looking behind her to make sure she was alone, she started speeding past the borderline and began following Burnspark's energy signature. _

_She followed him for many leagues, until she spotted his swift grey form up ahead. She put on another bout of speed, intending to catch up. If she could just be alone with him, just talk to him…_

_She collaborated on what to say when she noticed he had started banking upward, soaring out of the atmosphere and into open space._

"_Where are you going…?" she murmured to herself before following him into space. After some time, Cybertron was well behind them, and the moon was drawing closer. She watched with growing confusion as he glided past the moon and beyond it. Where was he going? What other destination was there?_

_She finally passed the shadow of Cybertron's moon, to behold another planet all together. An entire planet, just outside Cybertron's atmosphere. The orb was a sickly gold with sections of grey, like fungus. With dread simmering in her Spark, she followed Burnspark as he flew closer to the gold planet. _

_She circled for a minute, before landing some distance away from her ex-mate on the surface of the gold surface. She stopped to listen as he began speaking._

"_Lord Unicron! Hear my plea! I am your loyal servant BaneSpark. The war grows more violent, and the Seeker race is dying. Will you aid us? I myself am willing to give my life and I am sure many others would do the same if it meant preserving our glorious race, will you help us?"_

"_Burnspark!"_

_He whipped around at the sound of his name._

"_You!" _

_She cringed at the venom in his voice. _

"_Burnspark, where are we? Who are you talking to?"_

"_My name is BaneSpark now! For that is what I am to my enemies. How dare you follow me and set foot on the glory that is Unicron!" he declared._

"_Who is Unicron?" Her voice shook on the word. The name itself emanated evil and malice._

"_He is the god that will bring back Flyer rule to Cybertron!" he snapped._

_She walked closer, looking up into his optics. They were cold now. Unfamiliar. _

"_Don't do this Burnspark. Megatron has altered your mind. You are not a monster! You are my Spark-mate, and…father of my child."_

_He hissed in resentment at the word "child"._

"_What do you mean!?"_

"_I'm…pregnant. I'm due any day."_

_He hissed and started pacing, muttering curses to himself._

"_It doesn't have to be like this! You can come back, we can be a family."_

"_Lies! It is a trap! All of it!"_

"_Burnspark please!"_

"_Silence!"_

_He delivered a stinging blow to her cheek, knocking her to the ground. She lay stunned, staring up at him with wide blue optics. _

"_Please…" she quietly begged. _

_He raised a null ray, aiming at her chest. _

"_Die, Autobot scum." he fired._

_Silversong gasped as a small trickle of energon leaked from her mouth._

"_Sparky…" Silversong was quiet, permanently silenced._

_Banespark snorted thoughtfully, just a rumbling voice echoed inside of his mind._

**"_I applaud your victory Banespark. But she was telling the truth."_**

_Bane spark quickly bowed at the sound of his voice, but cocked his head at his words. _

"_Master?"_

**"_Open her Spark chamber."_**

_He quickly obeyed, kneeling beside her grey body and prying open her chest. His optics widened when he saw a small Seeker sparkling curled around what had once been her Spark. He carefully reached in and extracted the child. He growled an oath when he saw the Sparkling was also dead. It had passed into the Void when he had killed her. _

"_Place him on the ground."_

_The dark grey Seeker placed his son on the cold metal surface. _

"_I do not understand my Lord, what will come of th-!!" _

_Banespark let out a choked scream as bolts of white electricity shot forth from the gold surface, zapping him and the baby. He tightly hugged himself as leftover static rippled over his body. It felt as though his very essence had been partially drained from him. _

**"**_**A dark promise this one."** Rumbled Unicron, before his voice faded into the bowels of Banespark's mind. _

_He opened his optics, looking around before casting his sight downwards. The Sparkling was alive. Full color completely returned to its armor, the slight rising and falling of its chest prominent. In awe, he kneeled down and picked up the Sparkling._

_The Sparkling was no doubt, male, he could tell right away. He had small grey wings angled upward on its back, a magenta stripe curving down both wings, two small spikes grew up and down from the tips like him. He had small grey upper arms that led onto black forearms, his small hands were grey, though he had sharp, curved talons like him as well. His legs were angular as well, his feet being black and pointed, just like his own. The Seekerling had a bright magenta chest with an amber glass chest plate, looking more like his mother. The youngling was still asleep as though nothing had happened. His face was grey, matching with his pure black helm, which was adorned with four crests. Two on his head, and one on either side of his head. _

"_She was telling the truth…" he murmured to himself. The true horror of what he had just done crashed down on him. He set down the child and rushed to her side. _

"_Silversong! My love! Come back!"_

_She was silent, gone forever._

_Fluid gathered at the corners of his optics. Opening his mouth, he wailed, keening to the sky until his voice failed him. A sensation of numbness came over him. He didn't deserve to live anymore. Remembering Unicron's words, he turned and walked back. He carefully picked up his sleeping son. He turned to face Cybertron. The enormous blue and silver planet was situated directly in front of him, perfectly aligned. Anger boiling in his circuits, he raised him over his head, presenting him to the world._

"_Let it be known that the Bane of Cybertron and worlds beyond has been born. One day, when he is grown and strong, he will take this land for his own keeping. He will bring chaos and suffering everywhere he goes and to every planet he conquers. His name and face will be a scourge in the minds of every being. Let the Universe cower at the feet of my son and Unicron's heir, Starscream!!"_

_Banespark's words echoed through cold space. With a dull expression, he gently set down his son, walking up, and kneeling beside his mate. He caressed her face for a minute, before raising his null ray to his temple._

"_I failed you Silversong." he pulled the trigger. _

_Banespark's body fell to the ground beside her, the color that he had turning completely grey. Silence reigned over the planet. In his sleep, Starscream moaned and started whimpering in his sleep. Escaping the pulls of gravity from Cybertron, a dark grey jet, made its way towards the gold surface of Unicron._

_Megatron transformed and landed some distance away from the sight. He looked almost sorrowfully at his fallen soldier, but pushed the feeling away. Besides, he had a new recruit. Bending down, he picked Starscream up with surprising gentleness. He held the Sparkling at arms length, looking thoughtfully at him._

"_You carry a dark blessing young one, already I can see your Spark is cold and hard like that of your father's." _

_Starscream opened his red optics._

* * *

Gasping, The magenta Seeker staggered away from the final picture. So much information and history…he had no idea…his father….monster….his mother….Flyer extermination…all too much….

"You knew…"

He whipped around to point an accusing claw at Megatron.

"You knew! You knew all of this and you never told me!! Why didn't you tell me my own _father _practically started the great war?!"

Megatron looked at him impassively.

"I saw no need to tell you until the time called for it. But yes, its all true. Every last part. In a way, Unicron's blood pumps in your circuits, you are related, he brought you back."

Starscream sat onto the cold metal ground, holding his head. Unicron brought him back, and his family had paid the price for it. He had never known his parents. Now he wished he could put all of that information back.

"So…after you found me…"

"Yes. _I_ raised you . For a time at least. When you were grown, I knew you were exactly like your father. One of the reasons I took you in as my second-in command. I hoped for the same results."

Starscream had his head buried in his hands, slowly shaking his head.

"Your father was very powerful, Starscream. Now you have the chance to _be_ him. What do you say, will you listen to my plan?"

Starscream slowly stood up, and turned away, staring out into the hallway.

"…What do you have in mind?

"I see you have obtained Banespark's intelligence as well." Megatron smirked.

* * *

"Hey boss-bot, are you sure they're gonna be here tonight?" asked Bumblebee as he, Sari and the rest of the team drove to the supposed landing site of the Elite Guard ship.

"For the hundredth time Bumblebee, they're coming tonight, you saw their energy signature yourself." Optimus testily responded.

"Give the kids a break Prime, The Elite Guard haven't always been the best about being "on time"." Ratchet groused.

They pulled out of the Park and into the large lot where the ship had landed two or so times before. Sari jumped out of Bumblebee's passenger door as he and the others transformed. They stood waiting, the crickets and faraway city noises being the only sounds.

"Hey!" Bumblebee pointed up. They followed his gaze to see a blue and white dot grow quickly larger as it neared. They narrowed their optics and stepped back, Sari closed her own eyes and ducked behind Bumblebee's leg. The arriving wind of the vessel slowed down and stopped, and, for a moment, everything was silent. The doors hissed with steam and vapor as they smoothly slid open, releasing a long rectangle of light onto the assembled bots.

Sentinel Prime and Jazz strolled purposefully down the ramp towards them. They saluted respectively; Jazz returned the notion though Sentinel still held his usual air of disrespect.

"I leave for a few weeks Optimus, and already Megatron is back and the Decepticons are about to launch a full-scale assault." he sneered.

"We'll worry about what our plan of action is later Sentinel. Where is everyone?" Optimus calmly replied.

He turned to face the ship, calling, "You can come out now."

Several more shadows appeared in the light before coming down.

Ironhide walked down the ramp first, orange and grey armor gleaming. Bumblebee smiled as HotShot walked down, followed by Brawn, Red-alert, MainFrame, Perceptor, Wheeljack, Perceptor, and finally, Arcee.

The crowd of Autobots stood in a mismatched array behind Sentinel, a metallic rainbow from the many colors of their armor. Bumblebee slowly let out air from his vents in a whistle. "We're gonna need a bigger base."

Optimus noted his words; there was truth in the fact that not all of these Autobots were going to fit inside the Plant.

"These are my reinforcements that could come here, be grateful at least this many could be here." said Sentinel. Optimus surveyed the 'bots in front of him.

"Where's Rodimus?"

"Back on Cybertron in Recovery, a couple of the 'cons gave him Cosmic Rust."

Ratchet hadn't been listening to the conversation. He only had optics for Arcee. The small pink and white femme looked somewhat out of place amid the taller, brawnier mechs assembled. She looked at him. She hadn't changed or aged a bit. She was a beautiful as the first time he had met her all those years ago. The only difference, was that her optics were blank, completely devoid of recognition. She smiled politely at him before looking in another direction. He could almost _hear_ his Spark moan.

"Is that everyone?" Bumblebee piped up.

"Actually, I want to introduce you to the two newest members of our team." He, along with others turned to look at the doors. Two, lithe, slim figures walked into the door, standing side by side, looking very alike.

"Show me your stuff!" Sentinel ordered.

The two 'bots looked at each other, before taking off. The Earthbound team gasped and ducked as the twins flew directly overhead. They flew high above in perfect formation, blue and orange fire streaming out colorfully behind them. They transformed into their jet-modes, performing various tricks and dives before banking up, and landing beside Sentinel.

"Jetfire and Jetstorm reporting for duty Sentinel Prime sir!" they chorused.

Bumblebee, Sari and Bulkhead gawked at the two Autobots, who had just _flown_!

"Impossible. No Autobot _flies_!" Ratchet said.

"Times have changed old 'bot. you gotta tune in or tune out and get with the new times." said Jazz.

"We upgraded these twins with specs from Starscream, when we had him in captivity." Sentinel said, nodding at the twin boys.

The twins turned to look at Optimus.

"Optimus leader reporting for duty sir!" they chirped.

"Uhh, don't you mean Sentinel?" asked Bulkhead.

They shook their heads.

"Sentinel prime sir not being leader on organic Earth planet." said Jetstorm.

"Oh yes, Optimus Prime sir being leader of all of us, so says Ultra Magnus boss." said Jetfire. Their words were somewhat odd, their voices showing Russian accents.

"Sentinel, what are they talking about?" Optimus asked, turning to face him.

"Oh, yes, well, you see, I don't really believe it, I mean after all he was still pretty fogged by all the medication so don't take this too seriously but before we left Ultra Magnus told us, well, that..."

"What?"

"He, I wouldn't take him too seriously, I mean."

"Just tell me Sentinel!"

"oh, yes, okay then-"

"Magnus says you in charge now OP." Jazz said, cutting in.

Sentinel shot him a furious look, though he ignored it.

"What? Me!" he stuttered.

"Yeah I was surprised too, but that's what he said."

"Why would Ultra Magnus choose me to lead…?"

"How should I know! I always say he's getting to old for this job but no one ever listens to me."

"And for good reason," Bumblebee mumbled.

"I'm not to happy about this, so don't you be thinking I'm going to call you sir." Sentinel said, pointing an almost accusing finger at him.

"Probably because you've been here longer and have a better knowledge of Earth, and the fact that you don't have your processor jammed up your tailpipe half the time." Ratchet grumped, shooting a pointed look at Sentinel.

"Ugh, I don't care! Now, o _Leader_, do you have a base or do you share beds with organics the whole time?"

Still in slight shock from being told that he was in charge of _everyone, _he made a motion for everyone to follow him.

"Transform and roll out!"

* * *

He took one last look at the Autobots as they began walking away. Megatron would not be pleased, he hadn't been expecting Autobots to bring in their reinforcements so soon. Much blood would be spilt. He took off from the edge of the Skyscraper he was perched on, purple wings flared and flashing.

"Zhis iz not going to end vell, not at all." said Random, coasting away.

* * *

"_To get others to come into our ways of thinking, we must go over to theirs; and it is necessary to follow, in order to lead."_

- William Hazlitt

* * *

**So, how do you think I did on Starscream's origin and heritage? In the old series Unicron really did give Starscream his body back, so I, in a way, tried to tie that in. I hope you enjoyed Cyclonus's parents as well. I just though this would interesting to put in as well, along with appearances by AirRaid, Skydive and even Ratchet. I also tried to make his parents match Starscream, like him being magenta with an amber cockpit like his mom and then being red-eyed, grey and black like his dad. Burnspark, Blackwind, Silversong and Razorbreeze belong to me, all other characters belong to Hasbro. **

**Songs used:**

"_Stay my baby" _byMiranda Cosgrove

"_I've just seen a face" _by Jim Sturgess


	4. Mission Revelator

**Transformers Animated belongs to Hasbro, I own nothing.**

* * *

Blitzwing drew himself up more as Megatron smashed his fist into the arm of his chair.

"The Autobots are either very foolish or wishful thinkers, or quite possibly both! They cannot hope to match me! Shockwave! I need more soldiers!" he ranted at the bots below him.

"My liege, please try to understand that Strika and her team won't be arriving for some time, and the Decepticons already on Earth are-"

"Usable! We cannot afford such mistakes at such a critical level! We will find them, but first, _you're_ coming with me!" he snapped at Blitzwing, sharply standing up and grabbing him by the shoulder.

"Sir, I-"

"Silence fool, we are on a very important mission." he growled in finality.

"Follow me!" he ordered, releasing his shoulder and transforming, taking off into the night. He shifted around into his own jet mode and went after him, trying to keep up with his angered speed.

* * *

"_Please can I go home now, I can barely stay awakeBut you sit there with your pride and kill us all."_

* * *

Blitzwing didn't dare ask any questions, such a thing would end with a blow to the processor and a long, ranting stream of threats. The lights of the city sparkled on the horizon, growing closer as they passed over the desert.

"How many were there?"

For a minute, he couldn't find his voice, surprised by how much calmer he seemed; Megatron had always been a good liar.

"There vere za first five Autobots ve've alvays confronted, ze others vere part of ze Elite Guard, and zheir reinforcements. It equals up to sixteen."

"Sixteen able-bodied Autobots. All of them willing to risk their pathetic Sparks to save an organic planet and its disgusting inhabitants."

* * *

"_You have so much fun now trying to bend me till I breakAnd I just set myself up to take the fall,"_

* * *

"_I've alvays found Sari to be quite clean, and she smells nice too!! Hahaha!" _Random cackled from the back of his mind.

"_Silence!" _He thought back.

"Mein liege, if I may, jou spoke of Decepticons already on za planet, perhaps in zhis sector. If ve could retrieve zhem-"

"You don't think I've already though of that?! Of course there are more and I _will _get their help. Anyone who say no to _me_ will be eliminated." he snapped.

* * *

_Your eyes are black as tar and to look at you is hard, But I'm just too afraid to look away._

* * *

The train tracks led into the city before dispersing in different directions as they followed the line of buildings.

"Down zhere." They circled much higher like vultures on the lookout for prey. Many of the Autobots had been forced to walk; being without alt-modes. The base was an old human establishment. Old and out-dated.

"Are they so pathetic they can only scrounge out what is left behind by humans?" Megatron snorted. His companion didn't respond. Non-rhetorical question after all. They waited until all of them had gone inside before they transformed and landed on a nearby building, the only disturbance being a nearby cat as it yowled and ran away.

"Lets listen in, shall we?" he said.

* * *

"Well, its not much, but its-"

"Disgusting. Do you have any idea how many humans have touched this place?" Sentinel interrupted, taking out a can of disinfectant and spraying the couch.

"Either way, we're going to need more space to fit everyone." said Ratchet.

"My dad's tower!" Sari chirped up.

"What about it?" asked Bulkhead.

"Theres a big room a few stories up, in the center. It has a view of the entire city and everything, you can live there for a while." she suggested.

"And it would give us access to all communications and the tech that we require." said Prowl.

Optimus nodded.

"Right, bring anything else we need, we'll head over now. Transform and roll out!"

"You know, so long as no one sees you, you can probably use your _vehicle_ modes." said Ratchet, idling in his ambulance-mode.

"Ugh, finally! I hate walking!" Hotshot said happily, switching around to his cybertronian mode. Exchanging looks, the rest followed suit, following after Ratchet.

"We'll get you all scanned for earth-modes as soon as we get to Sumdac tower." Ratchet told them.

* * *

"Follow them!" Megatron commanded, transforming and jetting off towards them, Blitzwing following close behind.

"Jou don't really intend to attack zhem now do jou sir? Ve are heavily outnumbered."

"_and Sari iz down zhere too," _

"The Autobots may be foolish but they can fight if they choose to. Do not be ignorant enough to presume I would do that now."

He shifted his wing slightly in response, a twinge of irritated rebellion sparking up in the back of his mind.

***

Optimus walked around the outside base of Sumdac tower, his new teammates following behind as he looked for the staircase. Sari had told him about it, and was now perched on his shoulder. (much to the revulsion of Sentinel) Overhead, The twins flew in lazy circles and patterns, admiring the large tower and the warm night air.

"Its not really a staircase, more like a big elevator that should fit everyone."

"Why is it there?"

"My dad had it built to ship goods and supplies down here on the ground so the trucks could deliver them. Its like a big conveyor belt."

"Ugh, I hope so, I don't think I can handle any more walking tonight." Bumblebee complained.

"Hey! Put me down! There it is, I can see it." Sari said, standing up and pointing at a section of green paneling.

"Are you sure?" he asked, setting her on the ground.

"positive,"

She ran to the metal wall, looking it up and down before pressing her hand against a smaller plate. Right away, two rectangular panels slid sideways, revealing tunnel like passage leading up.

"See?" she told them, running inside.

"Sari wait up!" Bumblebee called into the dark, chasing after her. Optimus flipped up the small headlights on his shoulders, walking forward with the other following. Sari and Bumblebee had already gone on ahead, so they merely followed the path up into the tower.

"Wasn't this suppose to be some kind of elevator?" Bulkhead asked.

"That's what she said, but maybe she was mista-!"

The floor beneath them groaned and then started moving forward like a conveyor belt, moving them forward at a brisk pace.

"uh, never mind." said Optimus, putting his arms to his sides to steady himself.

It wasn't long before Bumblebee and Sari's voices reached their ears and the black and dark blue nighttime sky approached them. The moving floor stopped as they came out from the exit. They stood on the large middle section of the tower, hundreds of feet up.

The view was incredible, the entire city laid out in front of them in a mass of sparkling metal and concrete. Off far in the distance, the first light blue and grey streaks of light were beginning to touch the sky, signaling that morning was not far off.

"I told you, c'mon!" Sari said, smiling at their amazed expressions before running to the building behind her. It was perfectly round all the way, supporting the rest of the tower. There were no walls, just one-way glass for privacy and to let light in. Two of the window panes slid open, revealing the rest of the large room as Sari ran inside.

The room itself was very large, even for Mech standards. It was like a dome, arcing up overhead. It left plenty of room to walk around, sleep, and hold the supplies needed.

"Good work Sari. Lets put the Allspark fragments somewhere safe and get to work." Optimus said, turning to Ratchet who held the large black and orange case.

* * *

"Vell, at least ve now know zhere new base of operations." Blitzwing commented as they flew back to their own base.

"Yes, and how you're little pet will be vital to our plans."

Blitzwing balked and slowed down considerably. "Sir? I , I'm afraid I don't understand."

Megatron slowed down and turned, transforming.

"Oh you know very well what I'm talking about."

"Forgive me sir, but I don't. what pet?"

The grey 'bot drifted closer to his still hovering jet-form.

"Did you really think I believed you for one second that you actually killed that human?"

Blitzwing transformed himself, feeling queasy deep down. _"Busted!" _Random chirped.

"I, but, jou see, it didn't go as jou think it did, it-!!!"

He cut himself off as his leader struck him across the face, his head whipping to the side from the blow.

"You may have a few bolts unscrewed Blitzwing, but I never expected deceit from you. Especially for the sake of a human."

Icy sensitively rubbed his cheek, feeling the small trickle of energon as it leaked through the cut below his optic. He stumbled back, even in the air.

"Lord Megatron, allow me to explain! The human femme was deceitful herself, she fooled me I assure jou, I-!" He cringed back when Megatron raised his hand, as if to strike him again. A focused look came into his optics, followed by a smirk.

"Actually Blitzwing, by your mistake you may have given me back our greatest hope of conquering Cybertron."

He lifted an eye ridge.

"I'm afraid I don't know vhat jou mean."

Megatron shook his head, smiling.

" You'll learn the reason soon enough, for now, I must inform Starscream of what I intend to do. I'll let you live this once Blitzwing, be wary you don't make a mistake such as this again, I might not be very generous as I am now."

The triple-changer shrank back from him and nodded, casting his optics down.

Megatron transformed, hurrying towards the forest with renewed anticipation as Blitzwing followed, feeling sick to the deepest pits of his Spark.

"_Vhat have I started?"_

* * *

Sari ran outside from the Autobot's new base. The doors were left open due to the constant activity of 'bots going back and forth with supplies and tools brought in from the Plant. It was early morning, the streets far below and away already bustling with activity. The sky had already turned a pleasant blue, scattered puffy clouds spotting the blue expanse.

She craned her head up and looked at the enormous sky spread out from horizon to horizon, admiring the warmth and welcome look of it. A few leagues above, Jetfire and Jetstorm could be seen circling and diving before pulling up again, admiring the city. She sat back on the metal "floor", secretly wishing Blitzwing or Starscream could've been there to take her flying with them. The air was warmer than usual, not uncomfortably, but noticeably warmer. It was early May, which meant hotter temperatures. Eyeing the open tunnel, she stood up and ran for it, hoping not to be seen, but…

"oof!" she grunted as a large blue hand reached out and gently pulled her back.

"hey, hey," Said Optimus, a small smile on his face.

She laughed and smiled up at him, running around his arm, only to have him pull her back again.

"Where do you think you're going in such a hurry?" He playfully held her down against the ground.

"Optimus, let go!" she laughed, turning back to look at him.

"I just want you to be careful Sari, it's a big city out there."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." She said.

"Mind Optimus Sari, he sometimes knows what's he talking about." Ratchet said, walking out through the doors towards them.

"I know Ratchet, now can I go? Please?" she begged, smiling widely up at them.

"Well…" Optimus started.

"Go on, have a good time kid." Ratchet interrupted.

"Yes! thank you!" grinning she ran into the tunnel and sped down its grey interior.

"And keep your phone on!" Optimus called after her. Ratchet smiled and shook his head. "Give her a break Prime. She's a lot like someone I know."

"What? Who?"

"She's just like you when you were in the academy."

"Exactly! Remember how much trouble I got into?"

Ratchet smiled and shook his head, walking back towards the doors.

"If you hadn't, we wouldn't be here, and we wouldn't be having this conversation. She'll be fine."

Optimus nodded, somewhat unconvinced.

She ran out the lobby doors, adjusting her key that hung from her neck. Running down through the streets levels and away from Sumdac tower's province, she joined the groups of people on the streets. It was busy as usual, robots mingling with people as they went to work. At the moment, the park sounded inviting.

"Read all about it! Books and magazines sold here folks!"

Sari jogged up to the man's cart, just out of curiosity.

"Hey there lil' lady, what can I do ya' for?"

She looked over an out-dated _People_ magazine before asking,

"Do you have anything on jets? Or planes?"

"'Course! Let me check…"

He muttered, leafing through a bunch of old paperbacks before pulling out a black, hardcover book with red binding.

"Here ya' go, that be what your looking for?"

_Aircraft Anatomy and Weapons technology of the U.S. Military_

It read on the inside cover page. She reached into her pocket and handed him a wad of bills. "I'll take it."

He kept walking down the street, advertising the reading material while she crossed the pedestrian walk while flipping through her book. She didn't look up, but soon enough, the hardness of pavement left her and was replaced with the squishiness of cut grass. She glanced up and veered to the side, going to sit beneath a tree and its emerald leafed branches. The bark was wrinkly and rough against her back as she leaned into it, going back to reading.

"Just wait till they find out how much I know about them." she smiled to herself, reading an article on how a Harrier jet's navigation system worked.

* * *

Megatron refused to tell Blitzwing what he had in mind for Sari and Starscream, though he knew it was bad, terrible even. They transformed and briskly walked inside, where Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp were gathered in a small circle, the magenta Seeker telling his brethren something in a low voice.

"What goes on here?" Megatron demanded from across the room. They all raised their heads, save for Skywarp who jumped behind Starscream.

"Megatron," he said blandly, bowing his head.

"We have two new arrivals, claiming that they want to be apart of your army. Though the Femme is not very agreeable."

"What new arrivals! Show me at once!" he snapped.

Starscream turned his gaze to the right at a tunnel that led to all of their personal quarters. Megatron couldn't resist an exasperated groan as two more of his clones stepped out. One was a vibrant, light orange color, his other armor plates were a creamy white and rustic red, though his helm was black, it glowed dark orange when the light hit it. Contrasting from his armor, his cockpit was a bright red.

The other one was undoubtedly female, being smaller and slimmer than the orange one. Her armor was a combination of dark turquoise, black and grey, her claws were smaller as were her wings, though she held a heavy air of condescending attitude.

The orange one kneeled in front of him, saying,

"Oh what an honor it is to serve under you once more o wise and glorious leader."

The femme snorted, un-amused.

Megatron ignored the comment and turned back to Starscream.

"Do they have designations?"

"They took the liberty of naming themselves."

"Who are you then?" he asked, turning back to the clones.

"I am Sunstorm o grand leader."

"and you?"

"Lazerwave." Her voice held a slight screech to it like her brother's.

"Rise Sunstorm."

He jumped to his feet, hands clasped together eagerly. Laserwave stepped forward, hands on her hips.

"Is this it?"

"No. I don't know, there could be more still out there." Starscream said, shrugging.

Shockwave stepped into the room, his newly black and purple colored armor glinting. He glanced at the clones before bowing to Megatron.

"My lord, I have done as you requested and sent out a global message asking for help for your cause."

"And what did you find Shockwave?"

"Three actually. One is unknown. On-line but immobile, in stasis lock perhaps. The other two are Construction bots by the looks of it. On their way now." he reported in his slight British accent.

Megatron nodded. The Constructicons were lazy and unreliable at times, but they could be formidable enemies in a fight. The first one…he had never heard of, but most likely could be useful.

"Excellent work Shockwave."

He looked behind him to fix his gaze on Blitzwing, saying,

"I'll be sending you out later to retrieve this "_immobile_" bot, provided you don't visit any certain humans during your mission." he said, turning the order into a threat.

Blitzwing lowered his head in an intimidated fashion, taking a few steps back.

He looked back at Starscream who was eyeing his "brother" and "sister" from across the room.

"Come with me Starscream. Its time you learned our plan of action."

He stopped mid-step, turning to look at his tan, black and purple soldier.

"You. Retrieve the recruit at once and bring him to me."

Blitzwing started to nod, but froze in fear as his leader sharply reached out and violently grabbed his chin in a vice-like grip, steadily squeezing.

"_No detours_." He growled in a low voice. The triple-changer nodded, a spark of fear glinting in his optics. He gave his chin another sharp squeeze before letting him go and walking to Starscream who stood waiting at the mouth of the tunnel.

Blitzwing backed out of the cavern, rubbing his now sore jaw. He transformed mid-leap, heading towards the city, following the coordinates that Shockwave had transmitted to him.

"_Megatron said no detours, but…" _Icy started.

"_He didn't say anyzing about side-stops! Ahaha! I am coming Sari!" _Random finished.

* * *

Sari smiled hugely when she finished "Starscream's" chapter and turned to fighter jets and tanks. She glued her eyes to the left page, looking over the words describing Blitzwing's jet anatomy.

"_A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets by dropping bombs. Fighters are small, fast, and maneuverable. Many fighters have secondary ground-attack capabilities, and some are dual-rolled as fighter-bombers; the term "fighter" is also sometimes used colloquially for dedicated ground-attack aircraft. Fighter aircraft are the primary means by which armed forces gain air superiority over their opponents in battle." _

The page read, and, beside the paragraph, was a picture of his selected jet form, though this one was a light green and brown. Army colors. Very unlike Blitzwing's colorful purple black and beige armor with red signal lights. No, this jet was very boring and ugly compared to him.

She turned the page, looking over a diagram of the missiles they came with. Her phone started vibrating in her pocket. Sighing, she reached in and pulled it out.

"Hello?"

"_Hello yourself." _a voice snickered in response. She gaped and sat upright.

"Blitzwing?! How-? What are you doing?"

"_Just vanted to say hello. How are jou Sari?"_

She paused, shaking her head, surprised by the pleasantness of his tone.

"I'm okay. What about you? Is Starscream okay?

He sighed heavily and responded with another question.

"_Are jou alone down zhere?"_

She glanced around. The area around her was empty. No one ever ventured into this grove, it was more like her own little area.

"Yeah I'm by myself. Where are you? I feel like you're nearby but I can't see you."

"_Right above jou!"_

With a roar of jet engines, Blitzwing dropped down from the blue sky, Random smiling and howling with delight as he transformed and dropped feet first through the air. Sari dropped her phone in surprise. She quickly overcame it and smiled, laughing herself as he landed heavily in front of her, leg muscles rippling as he absorbed the force of the landing.

Random giggled enthusiastically before Icy regained control.

"Oh, I hope I have not alerted anyone." he said, warily looking to the right above the tree-line.

She leaped to her feet and ran to him, leaving her book open on the ground.

"How can anyone _not_ notice you?"

"True." he smirked.

She leaped into his lowered open hand. He brought her to optic level and just looked at her. She sat down and returned the stare. She tipped her head to the side, smiling. They tensed up, before both of them started laughing. She hurriedly stood up and stepped forward and embraced his chin, imitating a hug. He grunted slightly. She pulled back and looked up at him.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, vhy?"

"You sounded kinda hurt."

"I'm fine."

She looked at him warily, not believing him. She cast her eyes down slightly to look at the area around his chin guard. She kneeled down and placed her hands on two of the three plates of beige metal. His blue facial armor on either side was dented inward and looked quite painful. She reached out and gently poke the dent. He growled slightly and pulled her back, looking pained.

"What happened?"

"Zhis? Zhis iz nothing, just a misunderstanding between Megatron and I."

"I know he's your leader and all, but I hate how you have to live with him."

He tipped his head at her curiously.

"I am use to eet. This vill heal quickly." he said pointing at the dents. She put a hand on her key.

"Are you sure? I have my key y'know."

"I'm fine."

Ignoring her annoyed and concerned eyes, he looked down at her book which lay open on the grass.

"Vhat vere jou reading?"

"A book I bought. Its all about jets like you." she said proudly. He set her back down on the ground. She jumped of his servo and ran to retrieve the material. She laid down on her stomach in the grass, placing it in front of her while Blitzwing sat beside her.

"May I see?"

She handed it up to him.

He pinched it between his thumb and index finger, carefully flipping it open and scanning through the pages. Sari was busy plucking at the grass when out of the corner of her eye, noticed Blitzwing was shaking. She sat up and looked up at him with concerned eyes.

"Are you okay?"

He just shook more.

"Blitzwing are you okay? Why are you sad?"

A snort came from him.

"Sad? Okay? I am not upset, I am laughing!"

He finally turned to look at her, and, sure enough, he had a humor-filled smile on his face, his sharp white teeth glinting.

"What's so funny?"

He held the small dark book between his fingers, shaking it.

"Zhis book…" he trailed off as another bought of laughter escaped him.

"is so ridiculous! I knew humans could be ignorant, but never did I know zhat zhey could be so inaccurate as vell!" he finished, shaking his head and laughing more.

She blinked at him, slightly offended.

"Look here, "Fighters are small, fast, and maneuverable. Many fighters have secondary ground-attack capabilities, and some are dual-rolled as fighter-bombers", ha! Zhey have clearly not met a Seeker before." He scoffed, tossing the book down to her. It landed with a soft _thump _as it hit the ground. She reached over and picked it up, flipping to her old page and looking over the pictures rather than trying to read the now complicated sounding paragraphs and excerpts. "I think the pictures look right."

"Like I said. Zhey have not met a Seeker before. My tank and jet forms are at least three times larger zhan zhose models." his tone was almost smug.

"I'm still keeping the book." she retorted, smirking and turning the page.

He laughed quietly, looking over her shoulder to stare down at her while she read. She didn't seem to notice him eyeing her. He tipped his head to the side and blinked. Finally noticing his stare, she craned her head back to look up at him. He was sitting, though he rose at least fourteen or so feet above her.

"What?" she asked.

"I missed jou." he said in a low voice. She wanted to tell him only a few days had gone by, but decided against it. To him, being away and cut off from contact for several days while having to deal with Megatron must've been hard for him.

"I missed you too."

After she had said it, they moved at the same time; she stood up off the ground while he stretched his long legs in front of him and reached out for her. She climbed over one of the pouches on his belt, up onto his hip. He picked her up and held her to his chest, wrapping his broad arms around her. She had her back against his chassis, making her tilt her head up to smile at him. He smiled warmly before looking ahead again. She crossed her arms behind her head leaning into his chest armor. Her body vibrated as a low, pleased hum started up in his chest.

She smiled, listening to the pleasant melody. She stroked the obsidian colored metal on his arm. His humming pleasurably increased.

* * *

Starscream sat in the center of the room, tapping and rubbing his claws together anxiously. It was simple enough, and he was more than happy to get rid of him. But the only flaw was if he would except him. Though he did admit, it was a very smart plan, clearly thought out. He stood up, suddenly remembering what the Autobots had done to his airborne brethren. Megatron noticed. With a small chuckle, he walked up to him.

"You, are, _ready_."

He proceeded to pace around him, looking him up and down like a display at a museum.

"Nice. Very…_nice_. I can see it within you now, you have the same darkness and hate in your soul that Banespark had."

Starscream swelled his chest with air, angrily breathing it out while the rest of the Decepticons stood in the shadows, watching the proceedings.

"What is your destiny?" Megatron hissed happily, not stopping his walk.

"I will avenge my Father. Take his place as Ruler of the Decepticons and Bane of the Autobots." he said, a faint growl on his lips.

"Yes. What have I taught you?"

"Optimus Prime is the enemy." he said, thinking scornfully of the Autobot Leader.

Megatron had him right where he wanted him. He was so close to Banespark; the resemblance was frighteningly, yet wonderfully close.

"and what must you _do_?" He asked, red optics flashing eagerly.

"I must _kill_ him!" he snarled, clenching his hands into enraged fists.

The Decepticons around laughed and let out vicious battle cries, their feral, eager snarls echoing through the mountain. Standing farther back away from everyone else, stood Thundercracker, glaring enviously at his brother.

* * *

"We really appreciate this professor."

"Anything to help finally defeat Megatron."

Optimus and Professor Sumdac walked side by side in the lobby, heading towards the Cybertronian sized elevator platform that led up to his lab.

"Are you sure you don't have any problems with all of us staying in your business tower?"

He asked as the platform rose to a stop; both of them stepping off and walking to the computer tables.

"Oh, of course not, any international guest is welcome here." he said with a bit of humor.

Optimus heaved the flat screen monitor under his arm, grunting at the weight.

"Thanks Professor."

"Anytime."

Optimus walked back to the elevator, hitching the computer farther up under his arm. Sari's father had agreed to let them use it for communication and for helping search for alt. modes for the rest of the Autobots before they could venture out again.

As he walked outside to the steps that led up to their temporary base. His thoughts turned to Sari as he started walking up the path. Not that he didn't trust her, but he did worry about her every time she was alone. Especially with so many Decepticons out there somewhere. Though lately, they had been pretty quiet and discreet.

* * *

She smiled more, running her hand up and down the flawless, black plating. Even if she leaned forward, she could see her faint reflection. She sat back against his chest, turning on her side more to lay down. It was almost annoying, that it was the middle of the day, sitting with him in the park and she was feeling tired, all because of his closed-lips song. The strange, soothing melody was almost hypnotic as it caressed her ears. She turned fully onto her back to look up at him. He had his own head tilted back at an angle, optics closed, like he was thinking of something far away that made him happy.

She reached up and poked his waist, trying to get his attention. He slowly opened his optics and his humming faded before turning to look at her.

"Yez?"

"You didn't tell me if Starscream is okay."

He looked away for a minute, sighing.

"Starscream is…unreadable. One can only handle so much history and bad family roots at a time. Even for him, it's proven to be too much. I don't know what Megatron has in mind for him, but we can only watch and wait."

"hm." she grunted thoughtfully.

Speak of the devil…

"_Blitzwing! Why aren't you on course!" _Megatron's voice growled over the connection. He quickly sat up, putting a finger to open up his end of the communicator.

"_Mein apologies Megatron, I vas-"_

"_No excuses! I want that recruit!!" _the connection went dead.

"_Uh oh's! bettah get going!" _said Random.

"What?" she asked.

Without answering, he set her back on the ground, backing away to take off. She ran closer to him.

"Where are you going?"

"I just realized, I am on a mission, I must go."

"But what about-"

He knelt down to optic level with her, looking thoughtfully at her. She stopped her sentence, looking back at him. He quickly reached out a hand and drew her closer. She hugged the lower portion of his face, still awed at the fact that something made of metal could give off heat similar to human skin. He pulled back slightly to stare at her.

"Be in jour room tonight, I vill meet jou there."

"Okay,"

He let go and stood up, both of them backing up in opposite directions. Finally turning around, he jumped up, transforming mid-leap, and took off.

Picking up her book, Sari pushed her way through the thick bushes, across the grass, then onto the sidewalk, heading back to Sumdac tower.

* * *

He began following the coordinates downtown as Shockwave had told him to. Visiting Sari had been interesting. Having that kind of power could only lead to more possible problems, just what he need, considering Megatron had come back, along with so many other Decepticons. One thing he noticed, was that Thundercracker, Starscream's "brother", had been acting strangely about the behavior Megatron was showing to Starscream. He seemed, almost jealous; sometimes telling himself and the others how he would've liked to carry out the order. Jealousy of ranks was nothing new, so he didn't dwell on it. Besides, he had arrived at his supposed destination.

"And here we have a lovely 2057 model SUV here folks, in prime condition, whether you need a new transport vehicle, or more preferable, the spare parts, this is the car for you! Shall we start the bidding at thirty-two thousand?"

A salesman on stage called into a microphone to a crowd at a car auction, sponsored by the Detroit Police Department. After naming the price, a few people gestured in the air or held up small signs for bidding.

"And we thirty-three thousand, losing out to thirty-eight thousand, we have forty-thousand over here-"

Behind the crowd in the parking lot behind everyone, an enormous jet hovered before thumping down and transforming. The robot stood a regal thirty-eight feet tall, with an even longer wingspan, dark armor and a black face with sharp eyes and jagged, grinning mouth.

"I vould like to place a bid! How much?" he crowed.

The rest of Random's words were drowned out as the crowd swiftly began breaking up, hysterical groups of people running towards the streets or their cars to escape the "vicious Decepticon" . Blitzwing sat back on the ground calmly, waiting for everyone to clear out.

One of the bidders made the mistake of running by him too closely. Hothead switched around and growled, tensing his foot; tempted to crush the little insect, but held back, and whirled back to Icy.

"Not now." he murmured to his opposite personality out loud.

He waited until everyone left and the only sound he could hear was the faraway sound of police sirens coming for him, but he would be long gone by then. He stood up and walked purposefully to the stage where the light brown and purple SUV was parked. Blitzwing tipped his head to the side thoughtfully.

"_It must be terrible to be cramped up in vehicle mode for such a long time." _he thought.

He stepped up on stage and bent down slightly to fix his hands underneath the belly of the car. It covered the majority of his chassis and was quite weighty, considering what it, "he" truly was. Annoyed that he wasn't going to be able to transform, he adjusted the car to a more comfortable position before facing the sky again.

He leaped forward, and, for a moment, he hung suspended in the air, before firing up his thrusters to a higher level and finally gaining altitude.

***

"That outta' do it." Said Ratchet, twirling two more wires together and stepping back to admire the large monitor. He and Optimus turned to look at the 'bots assembled before them.

"Now what do you say we get you kids real vehicle modes?" said Ratchet, a small smile on his face.

His question was answered with clapping and a few cheers from the boys. Sentinel stood off to the side, ignoring everyone.

One by one, they all approached the screen, scanning through the hundreds of cars and trucks native to Detroit. Hotshot and Ironhide argued back and forth playfully over who would have the better alt. mode. RedAlert and Ratchet stood the side of the computer, talking casually and exchanging medical methods and humorous stories from working on the field.

After several minutes of searching and choosing, the room was filled with various sports cars, pickup trucks, and regular, suburban models, and even an ambulance after RedAlert had made her choice. The room whirred and clicked as everyone transformed, looking slightly different after choosing their car modes.

"Nice work everyone. Shall we continue?" said Optimus, gesturing at the innards of a safe-compartment to hold the AllSpark fragments.

Sari pushed open one of the glass doors, successfully leaving small fingerprints on the door, but she didn't seem to notice. The first thing she saw coming in, was Powell and Masterson talking to her dad.

"Sumdac, be reasonable, look at all the great things that have happened to your company while I was in charge."

Sari walked closer, putting her hands on her hips and saying, "Yeah, well, look at all the bad stuff that's happened when you were in charge."

The three of them turned to see her, walking closer towards them.

"Oh great, its noob junior." Masterson said irritably as she walked around him to stand beside her dad.

"That's enough Masterson. Now please leave my offices, your services are no longer required at Sumdac Tower." he said with finality.

"Maybe we don't want to take orders from some old dude and his little daughter." Masterson growled.

"If she even is his daughter." Powell said condescendingly.

That did it. Deep down, something snapped inside of her. Twin blasts of icy energy surged through her arms into her hands, burning like liquid fire. She let out a loud frustrated snarl, an iron clang filling her ears. With small, transforming noises, her hands expanded and separated, revealing glowing blue pads in the center on both. Blue electricity sparked and surged around her. The exhilaration and power surged through her, discharging it onto Powell and Masterson, blasting them with a large shock of blue energy.

Both men were flung the short distance out the doors, where, after getting themselves up, bolted around the corner to Powell's limo. The second the door closed, the car jackknifed out of the parking lot, tires screaming, away into the city. After what seemed like hours, warmth seeped back into her limbs, leaving them tingling. Shivering uncontrollably, she finally looked down at her segmented, mecha-hands. After a few seconds, her palms reverted back to their original state. Sari blinked, trying to understand what had just occurred.

She noticed her dad take a step towards her.

"Sari please, we need to talk about this, I can explain-"

She quickly backed up, clenching her fists, in slight hysteria.

"No, you can't. only the guys could explain this. Ratchet will know what to do."

She ran to the doors, shoving them open and sharply banking around the edge of the building, running to the back where the pathway was. A quick glance behind told her he hadn't followed her. Good. Pressing her hand against the pad, the doors allowed her access. Without waiting for the belt to start moving, she dashed up through the dark tunnel, noticing her speed increasing due to the belt finally moving.

Optimus stood at the edge of the roof, staring out over the city warily. Sari had been gone for some time now, and he was beginning to get upset, especially after this afternoon. He could've sworn just twenty minutes after she departed, he had seen a flash of purple and black on the horizon, getting closer. After looking again, it had gone.

"I'm being paranoid, that's all." he told himself, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his optics.

"Optimus!"

His head sharply snapped up when he heard his name. Sari came out of the path's archway, running towards him.

"Sari what's wrong?" he asked, kneeling down. She stopped, panting, at his feet. He waited patiently for her to catch her breath. When she did, she said,

"I need to talk to Ratchet?"

"Ratchet? Why?"

"Because, well, there's something wrong with me."

Bad scenarios started rolling through his mind. Maybe that purple flash hadn't been what he thought it was, or she was getting a fever, or someone had hurt her on the way home.

"I knew I couldn't trust you out there on your own. Ratchet!" he called, ignoring Sari's surprised, angry look at his first comment. The medi-bot quickly jogged out.

"What's going on out here?"

"Sari says there's something wrong with her."

Looking slightly calmer, he picked her up, walking back inside. Ignoring Sentinel's horrified stare, he set her down on the operating table he and RedAlert had set up in the corner with other medical supplies.

"Okay kid, what's wrong?"

She held out her hand to him saying, in a low tone,

"Well, back in the lobby, Powell and Masterson were there, and me and my dad argued with them. Powell said he didn't think I was even his daughter, so I got mad and…something happened." she said, glancing warily at her palm which Ratchet now delicately held.

"What happened?" Ratchet naturally asked.

Sari took a breath. She reached out with her mind, until she found the strange, new flow of energy continuously running through the back of her consciousness. Again, she felt the overpowering sense of an inner fire, or a large Space so open and enormous, it felt like it could go on forever. Willing them to, her palm snapped open again, revealing the blue pad in the center, and the strips of metal connecting her fingers.

Ratchet jerked his own hand back, both he and Optimus taking a step back. Knowing that they had seen, she cut off the stream of energy, and reverted her hand back to normal. She noted how every time she used this inner energy, it drained her strength slightly.

Both bots stepped forward again, alarmed and awed at the sudden transformation. She looked nervously at both of them, hoping for an answer.

"Ratchet, do you know what this is?" Optimus asked.

"Know what it is? I haven't seen something like this ever since my days during the Seekers, and that was ages ago."

Sari looked curiously at him when he mentioned Seekers.

"What do you mean you haven't seen anything like this _since _those days?" she asked.

Ratchet just shook his head, saying,

"it's a long story, one I'll tell you some other time. Right now, I'd like to run a scan through your skeletal system, see how far developed you are."

She jerked her hand away, looking even more confused, as did Optimus.

"Developed? Since the days of the Seekers? What're you talking about? Just tell us!" she said exasperatedly.

Ratchet sighed and shook his head. I guess you both have a right to know."

He turned to look behind him, gazing through the glass at the sun as it had begun to set, turning the horizon into a fiery orange. He stared at the bright orb almost sadly, as if thinking of something from a long time ago.

"Are you okay Ratchet?" Optimus interrupted his thoughts.

"Wha-?" he quickly asked, snapping out of his reverie. They both stared at him. Ratchet merely shook his head, saying,

"Its getting dark. Sari was up all night last night, she should get upstairs to her room to sleep and get rested. We'll talk about this in the morning."

Sari wasn't happy with this choice, but she agreed, allowing Bumblebee to carry her farther up into the building to her penthouse.

He gently took her off of his shoulder, setting her on the ground.

"Thanks for carrying me Bumblebee."

He smiled, kneeling down to hug her. She gratefully returned the embrace, marveling at the pleasant yellow armor on his body.

"I'll see ya' tomorrow Sari." he said, waving slightly as he backed out of her door and hurried down he hall to meet up with HotShot and few of the other guys for night patrol.

Sari stood in the same place for a minute, looking at the door, looking around the room. Finally, she turned around to walk to the center of the room, stopping to pat Sparkplug on the head. The mechanical dog sat on the carpet, watching her walk to the window to stare out over the city. Sensing her unhappiness, the small dog padded over to sit beside her leg. She smiled, poorly, at him before walking away from the glass to her bed.

She kicked off her boots, leaving on only her socks, vaguely considering putting on her pajamas. Sparkplug whined and pawed at her closet door, as if agreeing. Sighing, she hopped off the edge of her bed to the closet pulling out her signature t-shirt and shorts. Having re-dressed, she sluggishly walked back to bed, eyes half-lidded. She laid down gratefully on the covers. Techno-organics, new bases, Seeker history, how could so much happen in one day? Reaching over, she managed to click off the bedside lamp, leaving the room dark. Sparkplug whined. It wasn't just an ordinary whine, it was a warning. He continued, making distressed noises while pawing at the glass that led out to her balcony. Ignoring it, she buried her head beneath a pillow. It was then that two things happened. There came a loud _thump_ like something large hitting the glass, quickly followed by Sparkplug's loud, distressed bark.

Pulling her head out of her covers, she looked at the glass to behold two large red optics looking in at her. She froze for a minute, staring in mute terror at the window, trying to decide whether to run or scream. The optics disappeared. Or, at least it seemed that way. There was a pause, and the window panels slid one by one into the wall as the thing outside opened them.

"Jou know, had I been an enemy, jou vould be in quite an amount of danger." A smooth voice rolled in from outside as Blitzwing lowered his face to look in at her. She smiled, looking more awake and relieved. Her weariness forgotten, she tossed back the covers of her oversized bed and ran to greet him. Running across the carpet, she darted around his hand and embraced his chin like she always did.

She stepped back, hands still on his blue armor, to look up at him.

"I thought you said you were on a mission." she said.

"I was, I left my…prize back at base for Starscream and Megatron to handle." he replied.

She tilted her head to the side, smiling, tempted to ask what prize he meant but she let it be. Stepping back, she walked back inside, sitting on her bed but still looking out to face him. They both considered each other for a moment, before she abandoned her bed again to join him out side. She smiled up at him briefly before sitting down on the cool, grey stone of her balcony, looking out over the city through the bars of the railing. He was lucky the balcony was large enough to accommodate him. Just barely, but still able. The majority of his massive chassis and wings covered most of it, leaving his long legs to lean into one of the many curves of the building. He crossed his arms beneath his chin, laying his head down beside her. She scooted closer and leaned the rest of her body against his cheek, the cool metal contrasting with the summer evening air.

In unison, they sighed contently. They gave each other odd looks when they did so. After a minute of silent contemplating, they both laughed quietly, thinking of the humorous coincidence. She noticed him shift and attempt to move his partially trapped body. She scooted away as he pulled back his head, unfolded his arms and sat up, pulling his legs together in front of him. It was an extremely tight, and uncomfortable-looking fit, considering the width and girth of his boots. He dared not let his legs hang over the edge, knowing he would crush and mangle the railing.

She grinned sadly at him, feeling sympathy rising in her chest. Being so large and having such a lengthy wingspan could be wonderful gifts for battle and physical appearance, but they also could be troublesome and limit certain spaces to fit, such as now.

She looked back at her circular room; so big and roomy, enough space to fit a dozen people. But not Blitzwing. He, who was nigh on thirty six to thirty eight feet tall, with a forty-foot wingspan, would be lucky to coil his arm inside the room. If only…

Sari paused, surprised at the thought, and, though she tried to ignore it, continued to grow more attached to the ridiculous thought.

"You don't look too happy." she said, grinning sympathetically at him.

After adjusting his arms for the third time, he looked down at her with an almost annoyed look.

"A wise observation." he snorted. She shrugged, looking back at her large room.

"You know, it would be a lot easier for you if you were human. Then you could fit anywhere."

When she said "human" his optics snapped open, wide with realization and excitement. She turned to look back up at him to see this expression, asking,

"What? What did I say?"

He looked away for a minute, then a small smile grew on his face.

"If I vere human…" he said quietly to himself. Looking even more elated, he looked down at her and crouched, making them eye-level.

"I vant to show jou something, something I forgot I had, but now, I vould like to show jou it."

"What is it?"

He grinned foxily at her, saying, "Close your eyes, and do not be afraid."

She did as he asked, though suspicious of his actions. To calm herself down, she reached out and grasped the sides of his blue chin. He didn't seem to mind. She felt him shudder once, a low humming in the back of his throat. The small sound faded, his small shivers stopped, and she felt him go still and colder than usual, his body making the same noise a computer or large machine makes when it powers down; that mechanical whir that quickly fades and then stops. It was the same noise Optimus's body had made when he went off-line after his battle with Starscream on his first trip to Earth.

Alarmed, her eyes flew open to look at him. His optics were closed, and his mouth was slightly opened. The rest of his body was unnaturally still, and his armor was noticeably a shade paler, the rich amethyst purple, shining obsidian black, and dusty military beige colors of his metal looking pasty and faded. In short, he appeared dead.

Even more scared, she shook his chin, placing a firm hand on his nose.

"Blitzwing? Are you okay? C'mon this isn't funny."

He was quiet. There was no face-spinning or Random's large red grin signaling he was joking. With growing panic, she shook him more, but received no response.

"Blitzwing? Blitzwing! Wake up!" She said, her voice rising as she pounded on the lower part of his face with her small fist. He was quiet. With slight panic, she raised her fist and brought it down harshly on his chin. It was not meant to hurt him, merely get his attention. It did quite the opposite.

She clutched her hand, waving it in the air slightly from the pain of banging on the hard surface. Even so, she raised her fist for another go when a voice behind her, one that sounded almost unreal, said,

"I vouldn't do zhat if I vere jou."

She barely managed to turn around. The voice sounded unearthly, yet so _captivating_, like cool water sliding over a smooth sheet of ice. She finally managed to turn away from Blitzwing's still form to see a man standing behind her.

He towered impressively above her, being at least a foot taller than average men, yet, beside the unusual height, he still managed to look graceful. His outfit was a uniform, a military-looking one. The outfit was completely beige, except for the black boots he wore, which had purple straps around the middle section, and long gloves that extended up to his elbows, a similar purple band wrapped all the way around his hand, covering his knuckles. On his left arm, there was an army patch depicting a picture of a gray sword, with a red stone of some sort in the pommel, and a long, narrow piece missing from the center of the sword, so it started out separate but then joined again at the tip. On his right arm, there was another patch depicting a purple Decepticon symbol against a black background.

He also wore a hood on his head, made of the same cloth as the rest of his clothes, though a pair of black glass goggles rested at the top, matching the black straps attached to his chin guard. To complete the ensemble, he wore a purple cape, but it wasn't like one she had ever seen. In fact, it was two capes, both of them no wider than the other. One of them was attached to the left side of his back, and the other was attached to the right side of his back. She noted that if you looked again, the two capes looked like a pair of wings.

As if him appearing wasn't different enough, what really caught her attention was his _eyes_. They were sharp and angled, like that of a cat's. But it wasn't the shape, but the color. The man's eyes were red. Pure ruby red. Such a rich shade of crimson, they appeared to glow in dim lighting on the balcony. Pure black eyebrows were arched perfectly above his eyes, which contrasted heavily against his pale skin. He also wore a monocle on his left eye, made of slightly transparent red glass.

The strange man appearing and Blitzwing's coma-like state was too much. She quickly stepped away from him, standing beside Blitzwing's helmet.

"W-who are you? How did you get up here? _And what did you do to Blitzwing?_" she demanded.

The man chuckled and spoke again, his smooth, entrancing voice saying,

"My, my, Sari. Now vhat kind of harm do jou think a weak human such as myself could do to such a mighty Decepticon?"

Her eyes went wide, and she clutched the edge of Blitzwing's helmet to steady herself. His voice, as wonderful as it was, was undoubtedly familiar, it was just missing the mechanical edge to it. In a quiet voice, she said,

"Blitzwing? Is that you?"

He grinned. The same grin his robot-self had given her before he went into his trance-like state.

"I told jou not to be afraid."

She stepped away from the mech and walked up to the man. He appeared even taller up close; she was just half a foot above his knee. She looked him up and down again, realizing his entire outfit was based on his armor. His black gloves corresponding to his true-life black forearms, the monocle on his left eye, his purple collar, and so on. He held out his arms to her.

"May I?" he asked.

She smiled and reached for him too, allowing him to pick her up and hold her small frame in his arms. Her smile grew, looking at his seemingly flawless face and his red eyes. Prominent muscles could clearly be seen along his arms, chest and lower legs. She just stared at him in wonder as he turned around and went inside, carrying her to the bed. He set her down on the edge, then kneeled in front of her, though still being some inches above her.

She continued staring at him with childish wonder and amazement at her robot friend turned human. Finding her voice, she asked,

"How…?"

"It's called a holoform. Very advanced piece of Cybertronian technology, much more advanced than any human scientist could ever _dream_ of." he said, sounding slightly smug.

"How does it work?"

"It varies for most bots. For one thing, when projected, a holoform cannot go at least fifty feet away from their robot counterparts, if we did, then our holoforms vould fade and vanish, and our conciousness would return to our true bodies. The smaller the bot, the less distance they can go away from their bodies, the larger the bot, the farther their holoform could go. For example, Lugnut is very large, even bigger zhan Megatron. If he vanted to, his holoform could easily go twice ze amount of distance zhan say mine or Starscream's."

She nodded, still amazed by all this new information. Forgetting to ask permission, she reached out and placed her small hands on either side of his face. Amazed to feel flawless, human skin, she lightly pressed her hands against his cheeks, even more fascinated when his skin squished inward slightly from the pressure of her hands.

"Cool." she said, smiling hugely. He grinned, amused by her childish wonderment. After a minute, she started to pull back her hands when he reached up and gently clasped her much smaller hands in his larger, gloved ones. He put her hand back on his cheek, sighing. Grinning, she stuck out her finger and playfully poked his cheek. He smiled back and released her hands, but instead, she reached up and pulled his hood off.

Like his eyebrows, his hair was perfectly black, the light from the lamp making it shine. His hair was cut short, but not too short, it was still messy and was spiky if it stuck up in certain areas. She held the cloth helmet in her lamp, tapping on the black glass of the goggles. He smiled at her and ruffled his hair, messing it up even further.

"Lets see if it fits." he said, taking the hood from her lap and placing it on her head. It immediately fell over her eyes, covering most of her head. They both laughed as she lifted it enough to keep it out of her eyes.

"I'm thinking its too big." she giggled, taking it off and handing it back to him. He smiled back at her and set it down on the bedside table.

"I always thought that if you took off your helmet, you'd be bald." she said, pointing at his robot-self laying outside.

"Maybe. But I vould not have my other personalities if I did not have the hinges to hold zhem back." he said.

She looked past him and around the room.

"Vot?"

"Well if you're here, where's Random? And HotHead?"

His smile quickly disssapeared, suddenly looking afraid. He scrunched his eyes shut with a pained expression.

"Oh slag." he muttered.

Before she could ask why, she heard someone shout behind her. Human Blitzwing pitifully raised his head while Sari whipped around to see a teenager jumping up and down on her bed.

"Whhoo! Ye-yah!!" he cheered, having his back to them.

Sari got off the bed and turned to look at him.

"Who are you!" she called, raising her voice over his shouting. While still in the air, he whipped his body around to face them.

He was indeed a teenager, he looked about eighteen, though he still had a childish air around him. He wore a similar outfit to Blitzwing's, though he didn't have a cape, and the arm and leg sleeves were rolled up to either his elbows or his knees. He wore black socks on his feet, muffling his jumping. His eyes were also a vivid red, faintly glowing as well, but his were slightly larger and more child like. She noticed that when he smiled, his teeth were sharp, all of them.

"No way, Random is that you?"

"Woo-hoo!" he yelled out again, taking a flying leap off the bed to land with a muffled _thump_ on the carpet. He trotted around the bed, and, with a single fluid motion, swept her up in his arms, swinging her around while making airplane noises. He stopped and held her at arm's length, smiling at her with his jagged teeth.

"Hello again Sari! Either you've gotten bigger, or I'm a human! Ha!" he said loudly. She laughed too and playfully poked his nose, which made him laugh even more. He brought her to his chest and hugged her tightly, grinning into her hair. She smiled and hugged him back just as fiercely, before reaching up and tugging a strand of his sandy, beige colored hair. He laughed and started spinning her around again, much to her delight.

He started running back to the bed with her draped over his shoulder, when a pair of large hands reached out and grabbed her away from him. Random whipped around, looking disappointed.

"No fair Hothead! We was gonna jump on za bed!" he complained.

Sari looked up to see _another_ man, only with a somewhat large chin, and red sunglasses. You couldn't see his eyes past the glass, it was a horizontal bar of red over his eyes. He was dressed exactly like Icy was, only a foot and a half taller, and at least triple the muscle.

"No, you won't. Unless you _want_ to break open her skull." he growled. Random sensitively rubbed his toes into the carpet, adverting his "brother's" harsh gaze. He finally looked down at her, grinning and looking amused.

"Are you surprised?"

"Duh!"

He smirked and set her back down on the ground. She giggled and embraced his leg, saying,

"This is so cool!"

He laughed and patted her head, ruffling her hair slightly. She smiled up at him before noticing Icy, with a sour look on his face as he looked at Random. The teenager eagerly explored the room, looking around in different directions, looking at stuffed animals, looking through books, and examining a coloring book.

Sari trotted over to him and sat down on the bed beside him. He bitterly shook his head, saying

"And I thought having their voices always within my head was bad enough."

Before she could respond, she noticed Random, chewing on a blue crayon.

"Random don't! stop eating that!"

She jumped off the bed and ran to him, reaching up to yank the crayon from his jaws. He held on, emitting small growls as he pulled back, like a dog refusing to give up its bone. With a final tug, she yanked out the coloring stick, leaving bits of blue wax and paper on his teeth. He grinned hugely, amused by her annoyance with him.

"Allright, enough, both of you, leave right now and let us be." Icy growled, standing up.

"Make us!" Hothead snapped.

"But ve just got here!" Random complained.

"Now!" he commanded.

The two looked at each other, before shrugging and walking back out to the balcony. Sari watched them go, wondering where they were going. They both started walking to his body, and the closer they got, the fainter they became until they disappeared.

"Whoa…"

"Quite annoying those two." he grumbled.

She turned her head to smile at him. She set down the mutilated crayon before walking back to him, crawling past him and onto the bed, laying back against the pillows.

"Come here." she said, looking hopefully at him.

After a pause, he reluctantly took his boots and army jacket off, having only a black tank top on and otherwise revealing the hard looking muscles on his arms and chest. Leaning over, he picked up his hood and put it back on his head, so as not to forget it. He scooted over beside her, sitting up against the pillows, but otherwise stretching his legs in front of him. She curled up against his warm side, smiling up at him. He allowed a small smile, wrapping his arm around her.

She smiled more, loving this new form. She noticed he smelled nice too, like crushed pine needles and mint leaves; winter smells. He gently stroked her hair, tilting his head back to look up at the bed canopy.

"How do you like being human?" she asked.

"It is allright. Though I prefer my real body."

"Yeah, but since you have a holoform, you…"

She told him all the different things he could do with his advanced hologram. They both talked for the better part of an hour, though she did most of the speaking, he just sat there, drinking in all the information.

He criss-crossed his legs in front of him, though he still laid the upper part of his body against the pillows. Stifling a yawn, she blinked heavily and raised her head to look at him.

"Would it be okay if I went to sleep now?"

"Of course."

She reluctantly got up and away from him to reach over and turn the light off, leaving the room in inky blackness except for the lights in the city below. She then surprised him by crawling into his lap. Looking surprised, he un-crossed his legs and reached behind him to pull up her blankets, draping them over her.

She curled up against the inner part of his thigh, laying her head against his belly. She reached up and pulled out the two hair-ties holding up her ponytails, allowing her shoulder length red hair to fall around her shoulders in a wavy, slightly curly mess. She laid her head back down against his stomach, closing her eyes.

He smiled, his brilliant ruby eyes practically glowing in the dark. He gently placed his larger-than-normal hand on her small back, holding her to him.

"Goodnight Blitzwing…" she murmured, trailing off with exhaustion. He placed a hand on her head, stroking her hair and carefully brushing it out of her face. After a little hesitation, he leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"Goodnight little one."

* * *

**Forty. Eight. Pages. Uuuggh! ***_falls over from exhaustion_*** When I first started writing this over a month ago, I didn't know where to stop, so it kept getting longer until I was forced to split it in half, and even then I turned out with this mini-novel of a chapter! So after all that's happened in this chapter, we finally learn Megatron's plan and Starscream's mission: Kill Optimus Prime. (hence the chapter title; revelator is the same as revealor.) But since I split the original one, it means chapter five is already half-typed and planned out. **

**Disclaimers:**

**The excerpt from Sari's book was taken from Wikipedia****.Com. That information belongs to them.**

**Song/s used: **_**Crutch**_** by Daughtry.**

**And lastly, there is an important poll on my profile page, if you have time, go to it and vote, it's one of the vital parts of the end of the story that, if you vote, can have a say in. **


	5. Shadows of the Past

****

I beg your pardon, everyone, for this chapter being so late and I hope you can find it in yourselves to forgive me. Before you read this chapter, I did write some history with it, and, please don't be angry with me if you find far-fetched. Just remember it IS called Fan-_Fiction_ for a reason.

**Transformers Animated belongs to Hasbro, I own nothing.**

* * *

_All things truly wicked start from an innocence. -Ernest Hemingway_

* * *

He was gone when she woke up. Sari looked around the room but she was alone. The balcony was bare, making her think it could've been but a dream. That is, until she saw the blue crayon on the floor, partially chewed. She smiled. It had been real, it _had _happened.

Pulling back the covers, she got out of bed, stopping by her nightstand to put her ponytails back in place. Smoothing down a few last strands, she re-dressed, put her shoes on, and hurried out of the room to the elevator. It was time Ratchet started giving her some answers.

***

The sun was rising quickly over the horizon, alighting the city with gold and yellow-orange sunlight. Ratchet stood on the edge of the building outside the base, watching the yellow orb rise. Out of habit, he usually was the first to wake up. Inside, everyone else slept on.

"Ratchet?"

He turned at the sound of his name. Optimus walked up to stand beside him and look out over the city as the sun rose.

"I don't know where to start, Optimus. It was so long ago, I don't think I'll be able to remember certain times, or that I want to." he sighed, his voice sounding heavy and aged.

"She'll understand Ratchet, she just wants to know."

"I suppose."

"Hey!"

They both turned to see Sari hurrying up to them.

"Morning Sari,"

She blinked at him before turning to Ratchet.

"Okay Ratchet, you need to tell me, what's going on? And what did you mean by yesterday when you talked about Seekers?"

Ratchet looked at her, then closed his eyes, looking back out over the city with a sorrowful look on his face.

"I suppose you need to know the truth Sari, but before I tell you what I know, you have to promise that you'll speak to the professor when I'm done."

She allowed a small smile, holding up her pinky and saying, "I promise."

"Good."

He closed his optics again, the same, mournful expression on his faceplates. Then, he said,

"It was a very long time ago Sari, I was a lot younger then too, about the same age as Optimus here, but my memory hasn't been the best, I could've been a few years younger even. But during those years, We were in the thick midst of a Golden Age. Back then, there were no such things as opposite factions. We were all equal. Except for the Seekers. Though our relations with them were friendly, they were still highly revered and respected."

Taking a breath, he continued, though looking slightly angry as he began.

"It went by a lot of titles, but we called it the Grey War, because of the armor of the 'bot who started it, and because after every one of his raids and battles, nothing but ash would remain. Anyway, it was Megatron who initiated it, rallying other, demented Seekers who also shared his twisted thoughts of how the Autobots did not deserve to even exist, let alone live with them."

He turned his liquid blue gaze onto Sari.

"Did you know that before the Grey War, Megatron was in love with a Seeker Femme?"

Her gaze grew wide, staring back at him. Megatron? How could that heartless, Hell-spawned monster ever love anything? Let alone have the bot return the emotion.

"He did? Then why would he try to kill all of them? Didn't she try to stop him?"

Ratchet sighed, his optics sparkling more than usual.

"Yes, she loved him, but she couldn't stop him, she was dead. You see, they were very much in love, and at the time, they were happy. But then the time came where he took her on a trip, a small adventure that took them to a distant planet some leagues away from Chaar. Its believed that this is where Seekers originated, or at least their genes, but either way, they were alone when they arrived, or, so they thought.

After two full days of exploring, they fell asleep together in a cave situated in the northern part of the planet, up in the mountainous region. They thought they'd be safe, but were wrong. While they slept, a pack of unknown robots attacked them. They were similar to Seekers, only smaller and much more vicious, like described in the _Demons of Chaar _legend. Megatron was strong, he suffered bad wounds, but slaughtered the small bots. However, during the fight, one of them had dealt a lethal blow to his Femme's Spark, shattering the casing. Without the knowledge to heal her with, she died in his arms. It was then that the seeds of his madness began to grow."

"What was her name?" asked Sari.

Ratchet tilted his head back, looking up at the sky as the pale expanse of blue began to deepen with color.

"Decepta. Decepta was her name."

"Decepta? But that sounds like-"

"Decepticon? I know, he named his entire, blood-trailing faction after his love. He merely added in the word "Con". Not only that, her body was a rich, beautiful violet color, so that was the color of the symbol he created. Some say the Decepticon symbol partially resembled what her face looked like, but we'll never know, unless Megatron himself decides to tell us."

"So, what happened after she died?" Sari asked, rubbing her thumbs together with a sorrowful expression.

"After Decepta died, he made the agonizing, slow return back to Cybertron. When he arrived, he demanded the Autobot council to exile all Seekers from Cybertron, claiming them to be "vicious, weak, untrustworthy animals". It was then that they saw his true insanity, and they denied his request, instead arresting and sending him to Iacon where he would be imprisoned in a psychiatric hospital. When he arrived, he spoke and cavorted with the other prisoners. Since they were as unstable as he, they listened to what he had to say, and from then, they formed a plan.

That night, he convinced one of the nurses to take him for a walk around the grounds. When they were outside, he turned on her and slaughtered her. He collected the keys from her body and released his chosen partners. They would have gotten away quietly had not one patient, who had been scheduled to be released the following morning, alerted the guards nearby. Two of Megatron's agents were killed before escaping, three more were injured and died on the way to their targeted city. Though beside those deaths, Megatron pressed forward, attacking the Autobot and Seeker capital of Kaon, and eventually turning the remaining Seekers on the unsuspecting Autobots below. Only, at the time, they were called "ground-bots" because they weren't able to fly. It was then, after the assault of Kaon, that a long, bloody war followed. Megatron watched by happily as confusion and hate spread throughout the entire planet. The concept of Trust was nothing more than a long-forgotten memory.

Eventually, Autobots became corrupted as well, which is why that, even today, there are Decepticons who live on the ground, Such as Lockdown or Swindle. Over the years, Autobots chose their own leaders and ways of government, and the concept of flying and Seekers was exiled and forgotten. Its also why that today, no Autobot flies, or wishes to because of what's happened in the past."

"But I don't get it, if he hated the Seekers, why would he want them on his side?" Sari asked.

"Because, if he could gather enough soldiers and become strong enough himself, he could dispose and torment them at his leisure."

During Ratchet's entire tale, Optimus had not said a word. Instead, he leaned against the wall, head lowered, his eyes shadowed and staring, as if thinking of something far away.

_Maybe he already knows all of this, _she thought.

Small traces of coolant at the corners of Ratchet's optics gathered for a minute, but he then blinked, and they vanished.

"Sari, I forgot to tell you the name of the patient at the hospital. The one who alerted the guards of Megatron's escape. His name was ThunderIce, a triple-changing Seeker."

Sari's eyes were slightly misted after hearing something as horrible as Megatron's history, but perked up slightly when he said the patient was a triple changer.

"He was also Blitzwing's father."

Her mind went blank. Empty. Grey. Father? Did he just say Blitzwing's _father?!_

Feeling sick, it took her a minute to find her voice.

"Did you say, Blitzwing's father? Like his real dad?" she said, voice going up a pitch.

For once, Ratchet smiled slightly.

"Yes, his real parent. You see there was nothing really wrong with ThunderIce. He had multiple personalities just like Blitzwing does, and he was having trouble controlling his mood swings and transformations. He was sent to the hospital to get help on how to control his mind and body better. It was a form of meditation, taught by a martial arts master, named Yoketron. With Yoketron's help, ThunderIce quickly recovered and was set to be released the next day, had it not been for Megatron however."

"What happened after Megatron escaped?"

"ThunderIce was hailed as a hero, though he tried to convince everyone that Megatron had still gotten away, they didn't care. They merely congratulated him for his deed and released him from the hospital the next morning."

"and he was there when Blitzwing was born?"

"Yeah. He also came up with the name, "Blitzwing". After all, the word "blitz" means lighting. It was only expected that a mech named thunder would have a son named lighting."

Sari shook her head, tugging on her collar and looking away nervously. Why hadn't Blitzwing told her his history himself?

"How do you know that Ratchet?"

"Because I knew him personally, he and his Sparkmate. Her name was VioletStar by the way. A beautiful Seeker femme, and was a good friend of mine. At the time, I was a medic on a Seeker flight school. I had watched them train together through their younger years. I was just as excited as they were when I found out VioletStar was pregnant a few years after they had finished school. I was the one who transferred Blitzwing to his shelling-case just a few weeks before he was ready to be born."

Sari lifted an eyebrow at him. "what's a shelling-case?"

"A shelling-case is a thick metal outer shell around the premature Sparkling. The Sparkling develops inside the mother's Spark-chamber, and after its developed enough, doctors will remove the child and put it inside the egg-shaped case. Once the Sparkling is inside, the case will seal up completely, with any seams so the child inside is not harmed. After several weeks, the Sparkling has matured and will hatch. But during these weeks, the metal shell will get thinner and thinner, because the metal is being transferred to the armor of the Sparkling. When the Sparkling's has grown enough to live on the outside, the shell will crack and crumble away, a lot like dust, and the Sparkling will open his or her optics."

Sari shook her head and rubbed her eyes, feeling slightly overwhelmed.

"Wow. Do you guys do that with all babies?"

"No, only Seekers and other fliers finish developing inside an egg."

"ah."

"So I was the one to transfer Blitzwing to his casing, and I was also there when he was born. Its also the reason why he, Starscream, and the rest of them are so huge."

Ratchet shook his head and chuckled slightly, saying,

"Huh, you should have seen him. No taller than two-and-a-half feet, but the nasty temper of a Sharkticon. He was better after we fed him, but quite the adventurer. Tottering around the room, squealing and making a big fuss if he ever bumped into something. He looked very much like his mom, but he had been born with three personalities, just like his father. But, that just made him all the more interesting. I was like his babysitter during the Grey war. If his parents were ever busy on missions or political meetings, I would take care of him. He knew who his parents were, but I was more like an uncle to him."

Sari tried to imagine Blitzwing being so small when he was born, though, she did try to remind herself that even Lugnut must've been quite small when he was a Sparkling. After a minute of contemplating, she had to bite her lip to prevent a giggle from escaping. The thought of Blitzwing, this fire and ice breathing, triple-changing, giant, flying alien- robot, at some point in his life had only been about the same height of her leg and about the size of a small cat. She giggled more when she imagined her picking him up and holding him in her arms, rather than the other way around like it always had been.

Ratchet's shaky sigh quickly made the humor she had been feeling vanish.

"I knew Starscream's parents too, Sari. They were two of the greatest warriors I or anyone else had ever seen. But Megatron twisted his father's mind, which ultimately ended up in his death and his mate's, but that's a story I'll tell you later."

Sari nodded, before asking,

"So, how do I come into all of this Ratchet? What I am I mean."

"Oh right, well, you see, Seekers started to fall under Megatron's war. But there was a certain planet they forgot about, but, when they did think of it, they came up with a plan."

"Earth, right? They remembered Earth?"

"Yeah, Earth. They couldn't leave Cybertron because everyone would be needed in the coming battles, so they took a different tactic."

"What'd they do?" she asked.

"They sent out protoforms. An empty shell of a body, that, if you were to put a Spark in it, the owner of that Spark would continue living with this new body.

they shipped out several protoforms all over the galaxy, hoping that someone, somewhere would help them. And well, they got what they wanted."

"humans, right? Someone found a protoform and they touched it?" asked Sari.

Ratchet nodded.

"Yeah, a man, named Samuel. He found it, half buried a few miles away from his home. And, like you said, he did touch it and the protoform received his DNA. And just like you and the professor, when he woke up, a baby girl was there, sleeping in the capsule. He didn't know what to do, some say he even considered killing the child because of it's alien origin but he decided not to. Instead, he took the baby girl home to raise and named her Sari."

Sari gawked at the Medi-bot.

"You didn't know your namesake, now did you kiddo?" Said Ratchet, a small grin playing on his faceplates.

She shook her head, thinking, _why was I named after a Seeker protoform?_

"Anyway, when Sari was about your age, she began to realize she had "gifts" like yours, her transformations would happen if she ever became overly angry, or a "tantrum" as humans call it."

They both smiled at his last statement.

"After some time, Sari began to regain control of her powers, but it didn't stop there. Back on Cybertron, the war had taken its toll, and not many Seekers were left. Sari's energy signature was like a beacon for them. They followed it to Earth, and they found Sari.

"what happened?" she asked, literally leaning in to hear better.

"Well, three Seekers came. ThunderIce, VioletStar, and SilverSong."

"Really? Blitzwing's mom and dad went to Earth?"

"They sure did. It was still early in the war, VioletStar was just a few months pregnant with Blitzwing, but she made the trip anyway because a few months, on Cybertronian standards, isn't very long."

"Oh, but, who's Silversong?"

"Starscream's mother."

Sari blinked and then vigorously rubbed her head, tugging on her pigtails. So much family business! It seemed every time Ratchet brought up a new name, it was someone related to her Seeker-friends or Megatron.

"What was she like?"

"Ha, I watched her train, too. She was very beautiful, her body was almost completely silver, except for the stripes on her wings, and her cockpit glass, which was amber-colored."

"Okay, so, what happened next? Those three came, and did they find her?"

"You bet they did. Believe me, she was just as scared as anyone was, but her foster parent? Not so much. You see, he explained to her then what she was, and, at first, she was angry, but then like you, she accepted it. I don't remember very clearly about what happened next, but after the three of them told Sari about the war, she made the decision to go back home with them and help, if she could."

"What about her dad? What did he say?"

Ratchet rubbed his chin thoughtfully before saying,

"I don't know exactly what he said, but either way, she went with them, and, during their trip, Sari became very close friends with VioletStar."

"Really?"

"Mhm. It was a pretty long trip and they got to know each other after a time. VioletStar was usually the one to protect Sari whenever they met any of Megatron's forces, and Sari repaid her by helping her with her pregnancy. Things like easing her discomfort from things like sore joints, cramps, processor-aches, things like that whenever ThunderIce couldn't do anything."

Sari smiled, faintly reminded of she and Blitzwing. But then,

"So, Ratchet, Sari kinda became friends with VioletStar? Like best friends?"

"I guess you could say that."

"And she was pregnant with Blitzwing at that time, right?"

"Yeah. Why do you ask?"

Sari smiled and shook her head, looking another way. It was a silly coincidence, and she wondered if it was even worth mentioning.

"Nothing, its just that I find it weird that my "namesake", would be friends with Blitzwing's mom, and then a really long time later, Blitzwing would kidnap me and actually like me."

Ratchet blinked, also understanding her theory. His lips twitched with a smile as he said,

"Yeah, I would find that a bit of a coincidence. It also explains why Blitzwing was so unwilling to hurt you, despite the fact that he hates humans something fierce. Maybe him liking you so quickly is in his genes."

His last comment made himself grin slightly, amused by his reasoning. Sari smiled again, finding it comical that Blitzwing's quick fondness of her was hereditary.

Ratchet rolled his shoulders, the underlying metal creaking from ages of use, and continued.

"Now the fun part of the story. When Sari arrived, she, VioletStar, ThunderIce, and Silversong traveled together among the Autobots and the sane, remaining Seekers, rallying and supporting them against Megatron. If it weren't for Sari, a lot more 'bots would've gone offline. Her service really helped everyone and, for a time, Megatron's forces began to falter. Even BaneSpark was having trouble recruiting and winning battles. It was around that time that Megatron ordered him on a special mission for a last attempt at getting an upper hand in the war."

"What did he ask him to do?"

"He told BaneSpark to ask for Unicron's help."

Sari cringed back slightly, as if stung. Goosebumps rippled along her arms. The very name radiated cold, malignant evil like a glacier in the darkest pits of the northern oceans.

"Ugh," she groaned, rubbing her head,

"Who's that?"

"A very evil machine that is neither Autobot, Decepticon, Techno-organic, Seeker or Triple-changer. But actually just a form of evil composed of living metal. Anyway, He was stupid enough to go look for Unicron. While on her patrol, Silversong followed him, and he off-lined her, but I'll tell you those details later. At the time Sari and Blitzwing's parents were off on another mission together. They didn't find out about her death until a few solar-cycles later."

"Jeez," said Sari, rubbing her forehead.

"After Silversong died, a lot of things started going wrong for the Autobots. Missions failed, more battles were lost, energon became more and more limited. Despite Sari and VioletStar's efforts, the Autobots started losing. They-"

"Wait! I just thought of something. Did Megatron ever find out that a human was on Cybertron?"

"Of course he knew! He had spies everywhere. At first he didn't think one organic could do any harm, but he learned quickly enough. Ever since he found out what she could do, he tried everything to get rid of her. Poison, traps, riots, ambushes. But Sari was always clever, and, with VioletStar's help they always won or escaped. Besides her name, she was a lot like you."

Sari smiled, pleased with the information.

"Now, while all of this was going on, VioletStar's pregnancy became more advanced until she was admitted to my medical wing so I could put the Sparkling into it's casing."

"Was I--I mean, was Sari there?"

"Yeah, but she waited outside when I asked her too."

Sari's mouth dropped in the slightest.

"You met her!"

"Of course I met her, I was the one who taught her more about her "powers" and the AllSpark. She learned from me a few things about healing 'bots too."

"hm. So what happened after that?"

"VioletStar gave the "egg" to Sari. It would be awhile before Blitzwing would be born, she trusted Sari to carry and take care of the egg until it crumbled."

"Just a coincidence." said Sari, shrugging.

Ratchet smiled, looking amused.

"Sure it is. But anyway, after a good amount of time, the egg had started to fall apart during the night, which woke Sari up. She woke up ThunderIce and VioletStar, and Blitzwing was born that night."

Sari smiled, finding it nice that her namesake had been there when her best friend had been born.

"So like I said before, his parents continued with their work in the war effort and I would watch him from time to time. With Sari's help of course."

"wow. So what happened after that?"

"Ratchet!" The two 'bots and human whipped around, startled out of their conversation as HotShot jogged outside.

"Come inside! RedAlert needs you!" he exclaimed.

"What for?" Ratchet grunted.

"I don't know, she just said it was urgent,"

He bolted over to the grumpy medic and grabbed his arm, trying to pull him along.

"C'mon, lets get a move-on gramps!"

Ratchet irritably yanked his arm away and marched inside, fists clenched, footsteps heavy.

The scout looked at him for a minute before turning to Optimus and Sari and shrugging, asking,

"What'd I do?"

"Uh, lets just go inside and see what RedAlert needs to tell us." said Optimus, being use to Ratchet's quick impatience.

HotShot eagerly pranced inside ahead of them. Sari managed to uncross her cramped legs from sitting so long to trot after Optimus, pondering what she had learned.

* * *

"aah, Blitzwing, we've been expecting you." said Megatron as the Triple-changer ever so elegantly walked in through the doorway. The mech nodded, keeping his head down and going by to stand beside Thundercracker.

Kneeling down, Megatron lowered his head to the SUV and started speaking in low tones of Cybertronian to the frozen vehicle. When he finished, the car revved as if in acknowledgment. He stood back up and looked across the room to meet Starscream's gaze.

"If you'll do the honor."

He briskly strode forward, and kneeled by the vehicle as well. The fragment in his forehead glowed with a light-blue sheen. Lowering himself more, he touched his forehead to the hood of the car, the metal of the vehicle connecting with the shard implanted on his forehead. Light-purple thunderbolts raced along the body upon contact, the air crackling with static. Starscream quickly stood back as the car jerked forward started doing frantic 360 degree circles, before abruptly stopping and transforming.

Swindle stood up to his full height, the usual smirk on his face. He spread his legs farther apart and stretched his arms overhead, sighing and saying,

"aaahh, I needed that."

He laid his arms back to his sides, looking around.

"My my, what a golden opportunity."

Not noticing Megatron, he strode to the closest 'bot which happened to be Blitzwing.

"I know you, you were the one brought me to this,"

He paused to gesture at the cavern.

"humble abode."

Blitzwing nodded an affirmative.

"And why might I ask would you need someone like me?" he said with a smooth smile on his face.

Blitzwing calmly pointed. "Not I, him."

Swindle followed his direction and for once, looked surprised, the calm smirk on his face disappearing.

"Megatron! Why didn't you say so?" he said to Blitzwing as he turned around and strode up to the grey mech.

"Megatron, you ol' war monger, good to see you again. You caught me at a good time, I just remembered I have a good M-16 Cal-"

"Spare me your soliciting Swindle. I have more important matters at hand, ones where I need as much help as I can get, and that means you."

"mmh, really? Like, what kind of help are we talking here?"

"The Autobot reinforcements have come sooner than I expected, and I cannot defeat them alone. If that is truly a _Decepticon_ symbol on your chest, then you will join me."

"Oh gee Megatron, it sounds like quite a bit of fun, but, what do I get? I give you my weapons and my own contribution, but what do I get in return?"

"An everlasting joy of victory when we destroy the Autobots and their entire kingdom."

"Tempting…" he said sarcastically.

"And if you pledge your loyalty, my entire currency savings will be all yours."

Now this, caught his attention.

"Now we're talking business!"

He paused to look around the cavern, his gaze lingering on the Space Bridge before saying,

"Mmmm...yeah all right, when do we get started?"

Megatron smiled.

"A wise choice for once, Swindle."

He turned to Shockwave.

"Tell Blackarachnia that she is in charge of showing our, newest recruit, his quarters and what is expected of him.

"right away, my liege."

He made a small bow before turning and departed down one of the many tunnels of the base.

_Where were you? _

Starscream surprised Blitzwing by speaking to him through their private Link.

_Out._

_You went to see her, didn't you? _

Blitzwing didn't respond, but his silence said it all.

_You need to stop seeing her, if Megatron found out you were still in contact with her, he'll tear off your wings, rip out your communications systems and fill your thrusters with mud, so you couldn't go anywhere or communicate with anyone outside our frequencies, let alone go for a simple flight into the city to visit with a human child._

_Don't exaggerate, the fact that he found out I didn't kill her was simply by chance and by some investigation on his part, besides, I would much rather have those things happen to me than for him to even get near her._

_Mhm. You WOULD rather have those things happen to you Blitzwing? I understand it would be for a good cause but how would you get around? Knowing you, you would miss being able to fly very much._

_You don't think that I would fight back if Megatron were to attempt a punishment such as that?_

_Yes, but he would easily defeat you._

_How does the word, "Decoy" sound to you, Starscream?_

_Charming of you, Blitzwing._

Starscream severed the connection as the one-optic agent walked back into the room, seeming confused.

"My lord, I have checked nearly all of our chambers, the femme is not in any of them."

"Then find her, track her energy signature!" he commanded.

Too agitated to respond, he quickly bowed his head and hurried out the door, stepping on Thundercracker's foot on his hasty way out. The blue Seeker hissed with pain and swiped a claw at him, though missing his intended target by a few feet.

"Her absence is of no consequence at the moment, but any Decepticon that is able to fight _must be present_!" Megatron snapped, agitatedly going to sit on his grey throne, intertwining his fingers together and glaring into space.

Starscream let out a small, amused hum over their Link.

_Every bot must be able? Maybe you're in luck, Blitzwing._

The triple-changer irritably blocked Starscream from his mind, much to the amusement of the magenta Seeker.

* * *

"So bots lie to Wasp, call him traitor, but not traitor. Now Wasp is confused."

The green, ex-Autobot told her as she typed away on a keyboard.

"Mhm, sounds simple enough to me, the Autobots betrayed you and now you hate them, been there done that."

"Spider-bot, understands Wasp? Wasp and Spider-bot, friends?"

"Mmhh, yeah something like that."

After talking for a while, she had claimed to want to "show him something". After learning about some of her own history about being an ex-Autobot, he had come to the lab where he had told her more about what happened.

He turned to look at the large, vertical capsules lining the walls, most of them filled with bugs and arachnids, while two large metal containers stood, connected, in the center of the room. She noticed his staring.

"Oh, like it? it's a transwarp generator. Up until now they've only been used for intergalactic transport-"

She noticed his staring face as he gazed at the generators.

"Oh, but I'm boring you, aren't I? and just when I was getting to the good part."

"What, good part?"

"_This_ good part." she growled.

Flipping around, she transformed into her Spider-mode in front of him. He gasped and staggered back, purple optics wide. She flexed her fangs and transformed again so as not to frighten him any more than necessary.

"Oh now don't be alarmed sweetie, this is power."

She strode up to him and delicately put her hands under his chin, saying,

"Power to destroy all your enemies, and it can all be yours."

She said, slowly and smoothly sliding her hands out from his chin. He leaned towards her as he did so, stumbling forward when she backed up. He couldn't help but glance around the room at the green containers, holding dead, mutated bugs. She reached over and put a hand in front of his face, blocking them out.

"Oh, don't let those little hiccups bother you, science marches on." She said in a somewhat rough, excited tone.

Interested, he followed her back to the computer to see what else she wanted to show him. Smiling, she tapped a button, controlling one of the doors on the capsule to slide open. The inside of it glowed a light green, mist of the same color drifting out.

"No thank you." he gulped, turning his fearful optics on her.

"Oh, you can trust your friend don't you?" her voice sounded akin to Swindle's- frighteningly persuasive. Still looking scared, the small green 'bot stepped forward and walked inside, looking more like a small elementary school kid walking into a high school. He turned back around to face forward, the doors sliding shut in front of him. Looking pleased, she strode over to one of the green containers, reaching in to pull out a small, dark green wasp. Looking pleased with her choice, she walked to a metal drawer built into the side of the generator. She tossed the small green bug inside, closing the door as the LCD light turned from red to green for confirmation.

Bolts of white electricity raced down the fuel and power lines, coming together near the end to shock Wasp's container. Light green smoke filled the capsule, blocking out the view. Wasp's hands appeared as he clawed at the glass window, screaming and howling as the machine started twisting and mutating his body from the inside out. Blackarachnia calmly walked up beside his container and tapped on it lightly.

"Oh, did I mention it might hurt?"

"How did you feel about the scan?" Ratchet asked.

Sari rubbed her arm and put her hands in her lap. "It felt weird, like it tickled."

He nodded and went back to the computer, looking at her X-rays. Optimus and Bumblebee stood beside her on the recharge berth she was sitting on.

"So this whole, protoform, Seeker thing has something to do with Sari? Being held captive by them for several weeks, who knows what they injected into her." Bumble said, putting his arms in the air as a shrug.

"Bumblebee!" Sari said irritably.

"What? I'm just saying what I think."

"Well tell your processor to shut up."

"Quiet, both of you." Ratchet grunted. "Well, this doesn't make any sense, but Sari is basically organic, but her circuitry is Cybertronian."

Sari noticed his almost frightened look on his face.

"Well, cool, does that mean I'm like part Seeker?" she asked, smiling and shrugging in an effort to lighten the mood.

Ratchet shook his head, looking more afraid than ever.

"No, the structure of it, it's the same as, Megatron's"

"You mean, my dad put _Megatron_ parts in me? Ew." she groaned, hanging her head.

"Ratchet, will you please come look at this now? I've been waiting." said RedAlert, tapping her slim white fingers on the console, trying to be patient.

She stood in front of Teletraan 1's receiving screen, looking at a blip on the screen.

"Stay here Sari." He said, walking away. She just nodded, not paying attention with her hands transformed. She busied herself with trying to create small orbs of blue energy between her palms.

The three mechs walked up to the nurse, as she said,

"Teletraan 1 is picking up a transwarp signature on this "island" as its called." she said.

"Isn't that Dinobot island?" Bumblebee asked, tapping on the screen.

Ratchet irritably slapped his hand away from the glass while Optimus said,

"We should go investigate, Bumblebee, come with me."

They both turned, only to be stopped by Sentinel, who had been listening the whole time.

"Don't think I'm just going to let you two go off by yourselves, I'm coming too." he growled.

"Oh, um, of course, Sentinel."

He nodded and look over at Jetfire and Jetstorm who were amusing themselves by the door. Jetfire would blow smoke rings in the air, then have Jetstorm would blow small streams of air at them to contort them into different shapes.

"Jetfire, Jetstorm, you're with me!" he barked. Both 'bots snapped to attention, leaping out the door before them.

"I'm coming too!" Sari declared, after laboriously climbing down from the berth to run up beside them.

"Not this time Sari, its best you stay here for now."

"But I can help! I think I finally got this whole "powers" thing down."

Transforming her hands, she blasted out two orbs of the aqua-blue energy, though by doing so, she shattered a light bulb on the ceiling and punched a hole through the can of oil Ironhide had been drinking.

She bashfully shifted her hands back to normal and smiled innocently at the stunned orange mech.

"heh heh, Sorry Ironhide." she nervously giggled.

He set the ruined barrel on the floor, standing up to clean the mess. He wiped his hands together, managing to a grin at her.

"Naw, I was almost done anyway."

Still blushing, she looked back up at Optimus.

"Just stay here, we'll talk about this later." he said, making it look like a clear dismissal. Without another word, he and the others walked outside. After watching them leave, she turned to see if Ratchet was watching. Instead, he and Brawn were helping Ironhide clean up the oily mess.

She took her chance and ran outside, only to see the assembled team walking down into the ground as the ramp way delved into the building. The sheet of metal covering it slid back into place with a final click. Frustrated at always being left behind, she stamped her boot on the ground, clenched her fists and angrily said to herself,

"First they tell me I can't come because I'm just a kid, now they tell me I can't come because I'm just a kid _robot_?!" She finished angrily, flinging another orb of blue energy in the direction they had gone. This one, however, continued forward for a few seconds before dwindling pathetically into nothing. She sighed, hanging her head.

"Okay, now that was just sad."

Looking down she took her key and looked at it.

"C'mon Sari, focus."

Then a thought hit her. What if…

"Wait a second, maybe all I need is an upgrade." After the though entered her mind, she knew it was what she wanted. Holding up her head again, she took a deep, measured breath.

* * *

_"This is my now, and I am breathing in the moment, Cuz I look around,"_

* * *

A faint humming, not unlike Blitzwing's, filled the air around her. The strap holding her key to her neck dissolved and vanished. An unknown breeze ruffled her hair and clothes as a circle of shimmering blue energy started circling her from the ground.

* * *

_"I can't believe the love I see,"_

* * *

She took another small breath as two plates slid back from her chest, revealing a glowing port. Taking her key, with closed eyes, she inserted the key into her chest. Her eyes quickly flew open, but this time, they glowed a vibrant blue. Her arms fell limp to her sides. The Seeker-like humming filled the air until it blocked out all other noise. With a tearing of clothing and rubber, her clothes and boots were ripped and shredded off as her limbs and torso extended twice their original length.

In her mind echoed a voice of metal: _Our gift so you may do what you must. _

* * *

_"My fears behind me, gone are the shadows and doubts,"_

* * *

Armor the same color as her clothes appeared on her body, boots with silver trimmings on the bottoms along with glowing blue pads appeared, covering her legs with strong, light-orange armor. Her chest snapped shut as armor covered her chest, though a glowing blue orb remained on her chest, the equivalent of a Spark. Sari went rigid as incandescent heat poured through her body, consuming her insides. Her vision flashed blue and red before it fazed into purple. Her chest and limbs burned as if branded.

Fleeing to safety, she fell into the deepest recesses of her mind, escaping the rest of the burning as a pair of small wings sprouted from her back and a helmet with visor adorned her head.

Last, she again heard the voice of metal say, _Our gift to you. _

* * *

_"That was then, this is my now."_

* * *

***

Optimus and his team arrived and transformed outside one of the mountain's many caves.

"The energy signal is coming from in there, we need to hurry." Optimus said, hurrying forward. Sentinel drew his lance and shield, hurrying ahead of everyone else.

Bumblebee suddenly reached out and gripped Prime's arm.

"What is it Bumblebee?"

"I don't like this Prime, wasn't that signal part organic? What if its that spider-bot?" he said, looking more agitated.

Optimus blinked, then, everything came into focus. Blackarachnia was attempting an experiment for some reason, and, also, Sentinel had run inside, not knowing who Blackarachnia truly was.

"Stay here, and keep guard!" Optimus ordered the twins before running inside with Bumblebee.

Both boys stood outside the cave entrance, not sure why he had sounded so urgent.

"Well, what do we do now?" asked Jetfire, shrugging.

"Mmm, maybe should be patrolling area?" said Jetstorm.

They nodded and turned around, only to bump into the leg of something. They both slowly raised their heads to see a large metal Dinosaur, staring down at them with cold, blue optics.

"Uuh, hullo there!" Jetform chirped, waving.

"Mmmm! Intruders! Dinobots destroy!" The creature half-shouted. The dinosaur parted its massive jaws and spewed a stream of bright flame down towards the much smaller twins. Both 'bots yelped and leaped out of the way, the ground charred black from where they had been standing. A robotic pterodactyl also shot out from the nearby palm trees, shortly followed by a triceratops that lumbered out of the brush on the ground below.

And yet, Jetfire and Jetstorm were amused.

"Brother, you be going that way and I be going this way, distract and split up yes?"

"Right, brother!"

The pterodactyl cawed and swept down from on high towards Jetfire who hovered alone. The orange flybot transformed and easily darted back and forth, effortlessly evading the bird's sharp beak.

"That is right prehistoric bird-bot! keep following me!" he called out.

Jetstorm ducked and swerved out of the way of Grimlock's fire, before stopping to say to him,

"Ha! You Grimlock have lousy shot!" he jeered, before turning and flying off in a different direction. The T-rex roared and charged after him.

Sentinel burst out from the doors, landing with a flourish in the center of the room to see the containers crackling with green bolts. He straightened up.

"Wasp?" he called.

"No, spider." Blackarachnia hissed, slinking down the wall behind him and then onto the floor. Sentinel turned to face her, saying.

"I don't know what kind of organic horror you are, but if Wasp is inside that tin can I want him now!" he demanded.

She flexed her pincers at him. "Still full of yourself as ever, eh Sentinel?"

He lowered his weapon. "You know me?"

She transformed, optics narrowed at him.

"I did once." she said with a slight hiss.

He stared at her.

"A robot? With an organic mode? Eeewww," he said, cringing. "There's no way I would ever have anything to do with a mutant freak like you!"

She calmly walked up to him, ignoring the comment.

"That's not what you said when you dragged me along on that little field trip to a Decepticon warship. You remember,"

He stared at her, trying to think back. Decepticon warship?

_Optimus losing his grip on her, Elita falling back down through the crater, back towards the tunnels infested with enormous spiders. Explosions, smoke, no energy signal. Gone._

"The one with the unstable energon cubes? _And the spiders!_" She snapped, interrupting his thoughts. Shaking, he stepped back and pointed a trembling finger at her.

"_Elita-1?_" he asked.

"Its Blackarachnia now, Sentinel. _Thanks to you and Optimus_." she growled.

"I..I thought...you had went offline." he said, voice trembling.

She smiled lopsidedly at him.

"Well, at least you two managed to get your story straight."

He held up his weapons again, stepping back.

"I never forgave Optimus for leaving you behind. It was _his_ idea you know, and Ultra Magnus? He wouldn't even let us go back to recover your shell!" he exclaimed with slight hysteria in his voice.

She shook her head sadly, saying,

"Then I guess no 'bot is innocent."

"ugh, I just, I never knew, never imagined, something, this _unspeakable _could've happened to you, how can you even live like that? I mean its horrible, that is _disgusting_!" he exclaimed, looking even more revolted and mortified.

She waved a hand at him as if to calm him down.

"Okay okay I get it, its bad but its not that _bad_! All right?"

"No, its worse. You should've gone offline." he said, holding up his weapons once again. Then, from behind him, Wasp's container started crackling and hissing the energy building up with a bright green glow.

"The transwarp generator, its overloading!" she exclaimed in a slightly panicked voice. Both capsules flashed, bolts of green electricity ricocheting off the metal before they both finally caved in together, the area around them turning a dark, smoggy green.

An enormous black and green wasp flew forth from the smoke, the loud buzz from its wings filling the room. It shot between them and looped in the air before coming back down and transforming in front of them. The newly mutated Wasp opened his sharp-toothed line mouth and said in a buzzing, warbling tone,

"_Hello, zzarge bot_."

Sentinel gasped when the creature spoke to him, taking another step back.

"Is that _thing_, Wasp?"

"Wasp not thing, Wasp…"

He leaned in closer to Sentinel's face, saying in even hoarser tone,

".._upgrade_."

Sentinel turned accusingly to Blackarachnia, looking horrified.

"_What have you done to him_!?"

She calmly walked up to stand beside her creation, placing a hand under his jaw and saying,

"Oh don't get your crankcase in a bunch, I just made him techno-organic, like me."

Leaping up, Wasp started flying in circles around him, saying,

"Spider-bot, Wasp friend, make Wasp powerful, make Wasp…_Waspinator_!"

Holding his claws out, a blast of neon green electricity shot out towards him. The blue bot ducked as the blast smashed into the machines, further destroying it.

She smiled and shrugged at him, saying,

"What can I say, it's the next big thing."

"Its an abomination! Just like you!" he snapped.

"And I can't allow it, I can't allow any of it." he said, almost sighing.

"So that's it, you just slag your old friend Elita-1?" she growled.

"Don't say that name! you don't deserve to say that name!" he said in hysteria. Pulling back his lance, he thrust it forward. Not fast enough, the tip of it smacked into her helmet, successfully knocking it off. The black and gold helm rolled across the floor to the far end of the cave.

Blinking her set of four optics, she look up at him. The organic parts of her face were veined and crossed with diamond and "X" patterns and designs. Two set of pincers adorned her black and purple face. Looking even more scared, he stepped away from her.

"Your not Elita-1 you mutant freak. Elita-1 went off-line a long time ago." he said, almost, mournfully. She didn't say anything; merely standing there staring at him. Waspinator flew down and hovered in front of her.

"Sarge bot not hurt Waspinator friend!" he snapped. He transformed to his large, insect mode, shooting bolts of green electricity at his old instructor.

Hysterical, he yelled out, "Get away from me _you filthy organic_!"

Blackarachnia laughed at his terror.

"What's the matter Sentinel? Still afraid of _bugs_?" she jeered.

Waspinator leaped towards him, claws extended. Panicking, Sentinel swung out blindly, though he managed jab the green bot in the side, flinging him down the hall. Optimus gasped and ducked, instead, Waspinator crashed head-on into Bumblebee. They tumbled down the hall, Waspinator standing up on his hind legs. Bumblebee rubbed his head and finally opened his optics, though he immediately regretted it.

"_Wasp_?!"

"Itz Waspinator now, Bumble-bot!" he snarled.

"Nooo!!" Sentinel's terrified scream tore Optimus's attention away from the techno-organic.

"Sentinel!"

Running inside, he found him kneeling on the ground, Blackarachnia on top of his back, draining the energy out of him with the extensions on her shoulders.

"Let him go, Blackarachnia!" he commanded.

She stopped draining Sentinel to glare at him.

"Why should I, Optimus?" she growled.

"Because, I was the one who left you behind, Sentinel's not the one to blame for what you look like."

"What I look like is only half the story."

She climbed off of Sentinel's back, letting his depleted form drop to the ground.

"What I am, is a lot more complicated." she said in almost undertone.

Sentinel managed to raise himself up slightly, locking his, now accusing, gaze on Optimus.

"Ugh, you knew about this?"

The leader's optics softened sympathetically.

"I didn't know how to tell you."

"Oh, well that's okay, because I didn't want to be, you know, _prepared for this or anything!_"

A blob of web fluid smacked into his mouth, silencing him.

"Mute it, Lover-bot. Spark knows I should slag you both,"

She took out a shield and lance, formerly belonging to Sentinel.

"But I have an experiment to complete." She lunged for Optimus.

***

"Soo, Wasp, _-inator._ You…look, taller. A-and you can fly too! That, that's cool." Bumblebee sputtered, trying to act casual.

"Waspinator mega-cool thanks to new friend." he stated.

Bumblebee immediately dropped his frightened humor, instead feeling edges of guilt and regret creep onto the edges of his Spark.

"And, speaking of friends…I want to apologize for everything I did, and everything I didn't do. I'm sorry, really."

Waspinator blinked, his large purple eyes softening. An apology had been the last thing he expected from the small-bot who had ruined his life.

"Wasp…Forgive, BumbleBot." he said, making an effort to retain the hoarse tone his vocals had adapted. Bumblebee sighed gratefully, feeling his anxiety at facing Wasp beginning to lift.

"aah, really?" asked the yellow bot, smiling hopefully.

The neutral look vanished from Waspinator's face as he bared his teeth in a ferocious snarl and said,

"But Waspinator _never forgive_!"

Standing up taller, he discharged two volts of neon-green electricity, throwing Bumblebee a ways down the hall, where he lay smoking. Waspinator arched his back and bared his dark-green teeth, claws extended as he said,

"Bumble-bot not get away from-eh!"

From the opposite end of the hall, a blue-white explosion burst open the doors. Bumblebee whipped his head around as did Waspinator who lifted his head and snarled impatiently.

A small, on Cybertronian standards, figure wearing a combination of an outfit and armor of light-orange and white, soared past Bumblebee with incredible grace, to crash into Waspinator. The techno-organic yowled as the power of the kick sent him crashing back into the lab. Stunned at what had just occurred, Bumblebee followed after the commotion.

***

"I don't understand, I thought you hated being part-organic. Why would you do the same thing to Was-"

The green bot yowled as he barreled into the room, successfully crashing into Blackarachnia where they lay in a jumbled heap. While the grey-green smoke quickly began clearing, Optimus hurried over to Sentinel to help him up. The blue commander rubbed his head and asked,

"what the Spark was that?"

As if in answer, a surge of blue energy cast away the smoke clearing the room. And there, standing in the doorway, was Sari.

But, not the same as she was. She must've been at least an extra three feet taller, with long arms and legs and more developed chest and waist. Her arms were protected by light-orange gauntlets and bracers, with a glowing blue port on the top of each hand.

A thick, rectangular plate covered her back, where a small, petite pair of wings sprouted, and matching the white and orange greaves attached to her long, elegant looking legs. Finally, a light-orange, outlined with black, chest piece covered her chest, also bearing a glowing, throbbing blue port, the blue light growing bigger and smaller every second like that of a heartbeat. Her helmet completely encased her head, covering part of her neck as well, blue eyes with white pupils like exactly those of an autobot gleamed through the black visor, sparkling with anticipation of battle.

Then she spoke. Her voice was clear and smooth, but as the words left her mouth, the mechanical edge that all Cybertronians had when they spoke edged her voice.

"Hey bug-bot! you want to mess with my friends? You have to go through me first!" she declared.

"Sari? What are you doing? What happened-!" he could just barely finish his words.

"Hey, isn't that the human from back at base?" Sentinel asked, leaning on Optimus for support.

"Yeah, but not quite the same…" he responded looking Sari up and down. Her azure eyes sparkled with amusement before she whipped back around to face Waspinator, who had untangled himself from Blackarachnia and now leaped after her.

With inhuman speed, she leaped out of the way as his claws plunged into the floor where she had only just been moments before. She nimbly executed a evasive maneuver around him, making him hiss angrily as he tried to either zap or swipe at her.

"Waspinator will _destroy _human girl-bot!" he raged feinting left but then whipping to the side, catching her in the back with his long scaly leg. The armor protected her, also allowing her to land gracefully on top of the computer screen. Snarling with rage, he leaped for her once more. Seeing the attack coming, she leaped way from the computer, allowing him to smash into it. Waspinator scrambled away from the mess as it caught fire, sparks flying everywhere. Seizing the opportunity, she summoned a glowing blue orb of pent-up energy, then released it, allowing the power to collide into her dark-green foe.

The attack successfully threw him into a wall, tearing the thin membrane of his wing. Undeterred, she continued firing blasts of the blue energy, weakening him with every assault.

"Let's get out of here!" Blackarachnia yelled over at her partner, not realizing who Sari was. Reluctant to give up the fight, Waspinator swiped one last blow at her, missed, then fled outside, quickly following Blackarachnia.

"This place is going to blow!" Optimus shouted amid the noise. Sari was already ahead of them. Not willing to let Waspinator escape, she bolted down the tunnel, forgetting Optimus and Sentinel in her haste.

***

With a hoarse caw, Swoop fell to the ground and thudded uselessly against Grimlock, his body completely grey from the coat of ash that covered him. Grimlock moaned, lying on his back next to Snarl who also lay unconscious. Jetfire circled for a few more seconds before coming down to the ground to stand beside his brother.

"Hmm, are they looking distracted to you, brother?" asked Jetfire.

"mm, big one, still wiggles a bit." Jetstorm responded, shrugging and looking amused.

With a thunderous crash, Blackarachnia and Waspinator, in their insect and arachnid modes, barreled out of the tunnel, plumes of grey and green smoke following them as the fires raged from inside. Both jets gasped in surprise and, turning to run, leaped out of the way as the duo bolted past them. Sari shortly followed, blunt determination gleaming in her eyes.

In desperation, the two Decepticons had started clambering up the side of the shrub and tree lined rocky ridges above the stone walls that circled the clearing.

_I can't let him get away, _she thought.

Taking a breath, she put her palms close together, feeling some deep, powerful part of her being beginning to emerge. The energy inside of her burned and grew until she felt her body would burst if she didn't release it. Raising her glowing palm steadily, she aimed at Waspinator as he retreated, and shouted out something as an enormous blast of light-blue and purple energy erupted in front of the green techno-organic.

He yowled in terror and flailed around on the ground as the burns on his legs and neck festered. Snarling with anguish, Blackarachnia grabbed him around the waist and, with surprising strength, heaved Waspinator away from the ground and dragged him over the ridge, both Decepticons vanishing against the dying sunlight.

Sari gasped at the sudden drain in her strength and staggered, her eyes darting back and forth blindly, not focusing on anything, Traces of black started to rim her vision as she fell to her knees. Faintly, she heard a muted _boom_ as the lab exploded. Next thing she knew, though she didn't turn around, she heard Bumblebee's astonished exclamations as well as Optimus's. She heard Sentinel barking orders at the twins before she heard them both take off. A pair of hands scooped her up and started carrying her away.

Before she fainted, she glimpsed a pair of pure, glowing white optics staring solemnly at her, then darkness overtook her.

* * *

Blackarachnia nimbly leaped over the grey crest of a boulder as she neared the highest point of the island. Her gaze flicked behind her to make sure anyone other than Waspinator was behind her. The green techno-organic grunted and panted as he dragged himself over the rocks towards her feet, though she paid him no heed. Growling, he managed to stand up, quietly whimpering whenever he moved his burnt legs and neck.

"Waspinator lose the fight, Waspinator is zarry, Waspinator fail spider-bot." he buzzed, hanging his head.

"Ugh, save it, bug-boy. Its not important right now." she said dismissively.

He stepped up beside her and lowered his long neck to look at her.

"What do Waspinator and spider-lady do now?" he hummed.

"Well, I have no other place to be and the last thing I want is Megatron after me. We'll go back and I'll…introduce the new you to him." she said, choosing her words carefully.

Waspinator's antennas twitched and he sharply looked up, stretching to his full height and hissing. Her head whipped back around to follow his gaze, and she saw a lean, dark figure striding towards them. She gathered herself to pounce as the figure drew closer to them but stopped when it's energy signature flashed across her scanners. She relaxed her muscles somewhat and put a hand on Waspinator's spiky shoulder, calming him down.

"mm, well, Shockwave, fancy meeting you here." she smirked as he came to a stop in front of her. Though emotion could never really be shown through his single ruby optic, it seemed to glow with less luster than usual, showing that he was tired from the long trip to the island. His body still dripped with water from swimming from Detroit's docks and then onto Dinobot island's beach.

"Where the Spark have you been!" he demanded, ignoring her pleasantry.

"Megatron commands you return back with me at once."

His gaze flicked to Waspinator who was still tense, ready for action.

"_What_, is that?" he asked.

"Ohh, come on now Shockwave, surely you don't recognize the little green 'bot you framed from boot camp, do you?"

Shockwave recoiled, taking a step away even as Waspinator hissed low in his throat. The intel 'bot seemed lost, any words he tried to make out died in his vocals. Instead he said in a curt, dismissive voice,

"We will discuss this when Megatron is with us."

Without another word, he turned around and began his swift descent down the steep, jagged hillside towards the beach, the two techno-organics following close behind.

***

The deep furrows in the dark-brown bark of the tree oozed amber sap like blood from a clawed limb. Starscream dragged his grey talons down the tree one more time, than stepped away, admiring how much sharper they were now. The tree had been very thick and wide, yet, despite his choice, the old oak was now almost completely broken in half from the gashes.

His nose twitched. The smell of freshly bled sap was pungent and sharp in the air. A familiar metallic scent accompanied the tree smell. He turned around to see ThunderCracker making his way toward him. Starscream straightened up slightly, bearing his full height as his brother neared.

"ThunderCracker."

"Starscream."

There was no explicit emotion, it was a simple acknowledgment from the other, nothing more. The blue Seeker examined the tree, his red gaze flicking to Starscream's hands. Drawing himself upright, he said,

"How do you hope to pull off this mission?"

Starscream balked slightly at the question.

"What makes you so interested in my affairs?"

"Can't a brother worry about another brother?"

"Not if said "brother's" concern isn't sincere. What do you want?" Starscream sneered.

Anger flashed in Thundercracker's optics, though it vanished quickly as he regained his composure.

"You should not speak to me as such. I am as much important to Megatron as you are to him, he gave me my name and rightly so." He straightened up to his full height, buffing out his muscular chest like a strutting pigeon.

"I am in command after him as much as you are. It is wise of him, for who else could match someone such as me?" he continued, looking smug.

_A cyber-slug. That would match you perfectly. _Starscream bitterly thought. The dark-blue Seeker continued his self-adoration speech.

"-or who could hope to match the gorgeousness of my armor, or my perfectly-shaped wings, or even better, no one could ever match my sonic-pulses, for which I-"

"Enough!"

Thundercracker jerked to a stop in his rant, looking annoyed at being interrupted.

"Your blathering is without cause. Tell me why you are here." Starscream demanded.

Thundercracker growled faint in his throat and stepped closer. Starscream did not advert his gaze or step away as the blue Seeker's face stopped inches from his. In a quietly lethal voice, he said,

"Just keep in your processor that even the strongest warriors such as yourself can easily be replaced by someone more competent."

In an equally quiet tone, Starscream said,

"Are you threatening me?"

Behind them, a branch snapped. Both bots jerked and turned so sharply their wings nearly clipped each other. Shockwave swiftly approached them, his strides long and purposeful. Behind him, Blackarachnia, and a green and black newcomer followed.

The double-agent flicked his gaze at both of them but continued without stopping. Then the green bot looked at Starscream.

The magenta Seeker stepped back, looking unnerved. It was techno-organic, like Blackarachnia, but much taller. It had a long snout, with dark-green teeth jutting out of its upper and lower jaws. Its arms and legs were splintered with three claws each, adjoining the spikes on its elbows, shoulders and back, going between the pink wings on its back. The creature bore a frightening resemblance to Wasp, the ex-autobot.

Both intrigued and slightly disgusted, he followed after them, consciously aware of Thundercracker's optics drilling into him from behind.

***

_Disgusting. Now zhere are two of zhem._

_VE SHOULD HAVE SQUASHED HER VHEN VE HAD ZA CHANCE!! NOW LOOK, SHE'S REPRODUCING!!_

_MayBE, bUt I Do loVe ZE COloR GreEN! AAHAHA!!_

Thoughts such as these flitted back and forth through Blitzwing's processor as Blackarachnia and Waspinator emerged from around the corner of the mountain with her escort. He stood waiting outside the entry way, being on guard for anything out of the ordinary or threatening. When they neared, he reached over for the controls that would open the door.

"I should vorn jou Shockwave, Megatron is in a bit of a meeting. Joo might have to vait."

Regardless, his fingers danced over the keys as he typed in the combination. The assembled party stepped inside, the doors hissing close behind them. Near his throne, Megatron stood conversing with a dark form.

"Its about time you came back." he grunted. He turned back to the dark form.

"What will it be, Lockdown?"

The bounty hunter finally looked away from the group that just entered and said,

"Eh, why not. This could be fun."

* * *

_"To change and to change for the better are two different things."_ -German Proverb

* * *

I thought this quote was quite fitting for Sari and Waspinator alike, don't you think? And to get this off my chest, the quote from the beginning of the chapter? I found plenty I could've used, but I chose this one because of its accuracy for Megatron. True about him, wouldn't you think?

Again, I apologize to everyone who has waited so patiently for this chapter, and to those impatient people who bugged me until I actually finished it. :)

Song used: Excerpt from _"This is my Now"_ -by Jordin Sparks

Dialogue borrowed from episodes _"Transwarped"_ and _"Predacons Rising"_ also belongs strictly to Hasbro. I own nothing.


	6. The AllSpark's gift

**Transformers Animated belongs to Hasbro, I own nothing.**

* * *

_"Change always comes bearing gifts."_**~Price Pritchett**

**

* * *

**

Sari was alone when she woke. She opened her eyes to stare at the multiple folds of the bed canopy inside her penthouse room. Outside, night still reigned and the familiar sounds of the city drifted up from below the tower.

Before she noticed more than that, her phone rang out noisily on her nightstand. The ring tone blared out so loudly, she recoiled at first, clapping her hands over her ears so the noise would not deafen her. Then realizing what the source of the sound was, she reached out to grab the device, but, somehow, overreached. Her arm easily stretched two feet past her phone. She slowly pulled her limb back and stared at it, realizing her arm had grown another foot.

Trying to quell her initial alarm, she fumbled for her cell until she clicked it open and pressed it to her ear, noting how she could hear every single sound coming from the device. She could've sworn she could feel the hum of the radio waves it gave off as they connected her signal to the opposite one.

"Hello?" she asked in a small voice.

"_Zari." _

She became still and clutched the pillow with her fist, her eyes automatically flicking towards the windows, expecting to see a pair of mismatched crimson optics staring in at her, but the glass was empty.

Before she could stutter out a reply, he said,

"_Jou needn't vorry about ze Autobots tracking my signal through jour device, I am blocking our words even now. How are jou?"_

"how….?" she murmured.

"_Starscream and I on the edge of zhis sector. Ve vould choose to be much farther away, but I doubt your primitive cellular device could reach our signals."_

"Oh." was all she said.

She heard his voice again, distant, only it was a repetitive series of clicks and whirs. She waited until he stopped talking to whoever he was speaking to until she spoke again.

"How did you know?"

He hummed thoughtfully before he spoke again, choosing his words carefully.

"_It eez…difficult to explain. There was…a shift in za Vorld. Ve felt eet, long before Blackarachnia informed us ov vhat she saw."_

She then understood what he was trying to explain to her. When she upgraded herself, she had changed. And they had felt it; like some, inner, almost primeval instinct, they could sense what had happened.

"Did you do this to me, Blitzwing?"

"_It vas not my vork alone, nor Starscream's. Za memories of our race, vhich vere given form and sustenance by the All-Spark, gave jou vhat skills ve Cybertronians posses, for without za All-Spark, jou are our last hope of avoiding extinction._

"I don't get it,"

"_Find a reflective surface. I believe humans call zhem "mirrors". Zhen rest and recover and speak to jour Autobot allies, zhey have ze answers jou search for. Farewell. _

Without returning his goodbye, she closed the phone and fell back against the semi-warmed pillows, acutely aware of each feather rubbing against the cloth on the inside. Her head ached and her stomach growled viciously.

_When was the last time I ate? _

Forcing herself to crawl out of bed, she stumbled, realizing the ground was at least four feet farther away. Having her sense of balance slightly thrown by her elongated legs, she stumbled towards the door, just making it out to the hall to reach out and weakly press a button on the elevator. She swooned slightly and her stomach growled again, voicing its complaint at being empty.

"Oh shut up," she muttered, clinging to the rail to balance herself. The doors slid shut, louder than normal. It occurred to her that all noises that had once been hidden to her were now highly elevated. The creaking of the ropes and gears as the elevator was lowered through the bowels of the tower, the _creak_ of the rail as she leaned against it, everything.

She was grateful to escape the oppressive noises of the elevator as she stumbled out to the lobby and around the service desk to the backrooms where her dad occasionally had meetings. Knowing him, these business parties would sometimes last for hours because they could never quite settle on an agreement. So, to compensate for the longevity, provisions were placed in the room in case of these meetings. Typing in the combination, she stumbled into the low-lit room. It looked quite inviting really, with a kitchen counter holding two sinks, a fridge pushed against the wall, and file cabinets pushed up against the far wall.

At the head of the room, a long table was situated, with two head chairs at either end, and six chairs on either end. Behind the head chair on the wall was a large flat screen TV, for members who weren't able to make it in person. The only decoration of the room were two tapestries situated on either side of the TV, woven in light-green silk with a dark-green "S" stitched in the center.

Yanking open the fridge, she pulled out whatever was edible and crammed in her mouth, feeling as though she hadn't eaten in several days. She gulped through four bottles of water afterwards, only stopping to take breaths after each long draught.

Sated, she yawned again and walked back out into the lobby, making sure to turn the lights off. As she turned to lock the door, the acute sound of another door opening caught her attention. She snapped her head around to see a dark, short figure fumbling with a pair of keys as they tried to open the glass doors that led inside. Sari froze. The figure finally chose the correct key and hurried inside.

"Sari!" The voice, for it was undoubtedly a man, called out her name. It was her dad.

"Dad!" she yelled back. Her father whipped around to stare in her direction before he started running towards her as fast as his stout legs would let him. She cleared the distance between them in a few easy strides, practically colliding into him as they embraced. They both pulled back to stare at each other. She noticed how much shorter he seemed, he noticed that she was much taller, and, had literally grown up over night.

"Sari…?" he asked.

She smiled, feeling her eyes water slightly.

"Hey dad,"

By some unbidden consent, they both fell to their knees, still clasping their arms together as they sat.

"Ratchet told me what happened, I just didn't think, I though-"

"Its okay, dad. I'm not angry or upset or anything. Really."

He sighed, shaking his head.

"Uh, I should've told you a long time ago, I should've trusted you with the truth, but I am glad that Ratchet was able to tell you everything."

"Yeah, me too."

"….Does, this mean you forgive me, Sari?" he asked warily.

She smiled. Leaning forward, she kissed his forehead and hugged him again, which he responded to in a likewise manner.

"You should go talk to them." he said, breaking the quiet.

She reluctantly broke their hug and slowly pulled away, rising to her feet, as did he. With a last smile, she walked around him and proceeded outside to make her way to the elevator.

Sari was reluctant to re-enter the mechanized lift. She stuck her fingers in her ears, trying to block out the now prominent sounds. She tapped her foot impatiently as she was lifted up through the silent building.

Practically running out of the elevator, she squeezed through the doors before they had slid all the way open. She trotted down the hall, her footsteps echoing in the empty hall. She turned into her room, where she had still left the door opened. She made a point of locking them as she slowly walked across the carpet.

Sari then became aware that she was still in her nightgown. She changed her course to head for the closet, hoping for a change of clothes. As she neared it, she passed her mirror; a large, floor-to-ceiling sheet of glass that sparkled, even in the dim light of her room. Not being able to her reflection, she reached over and clicked her bedside lamp on, then stepped in front of the mirror.

Sari's mouth fell open in a small "O" and she grew still.

It was if the numerous physical changes that, over time, altered the body and appearance of a human girl had been completed while she slept. She had not been aware of her matured self when she had fought Waspinator. Her face was now as smooth and angular as a teenager's, though her skin was dark and flawless. Her eyes surprised, almost scared her the most, for they were no longer the dark red she had been born with, but were bright, aqua-blue. Besides the color, her eyes were now more angular and sharp-looking with much darker skin around the edges of her lids, representing the black color that surrounded Autobot and Decepticon optics alike. The skin on the rest of her body seemed to glow faintly from within, like the glow from polished metal coupled with the luminescent shine of the All-Spark.

_I look like a Goddess, or an a actress. _

Because of her young age, she rarely applied the term to others and never before had used it for herself, but the only word to describe her now was _absolutely beautiful_.Yet she was not entirely an Autobot, let alone a machine. She was stronger, her body taller and longer, and had a more defined woman's figure.

Remembering why she had stopped, she reached up and slipped the straps off of her shoulders, letting the gown fall to the floor. She twisted in front of the mirror in search of the horizontal scars that lined either side of her chest when Megatron had discovered her inside his base and had grabbed her too tightly with his serrated fingertips. There was now nothing there.

After realizing that the scars were now gone, she inspected the rest of her body, and received another alarming surprise. Besides the first marks left by Megatron, every other scar and blemish had vanished from her body, leaving her unmarked and smooth like a sheet of tanned velvet. Sari traced a line on her arm where she had cut herself on a shard of glass from a broken glass beaker. No evidence of the wound remained. The blotchy scars smeared on her pelvis when Blitzwing had first grabbed and kidnapped her were also gone, leaving the skin smooth and pain-less when she pressed on it. For a moment, she missed them as memoirs earned through her eight years of life, but her regret was short-lived as she realized that the damage from every injury she had ever received, no matter how small, had been erased.

_Now I'm like some kind of super-human, what I'm meant to really be, _she thought.

She turned away from the mirror to proceed to her closet, where, surprisingly, a new wardrobe had been replaced. Regardless, she pulled on a dress with such long sleeves that they stretched all the way to her palms, leaving only her fingers free. She pulled on a pair of leggings that, like her sleeves, stretched all the way to her feet. She slipped on a pair of low-cut tennis-shoes and finally pinned her hair up in its trademark pigtails.

She stepped back to admire the outfit, pleased by the fact that it held the same colors as her original dress. Feeling confident, she strutted once again back into the halls with a new, almost commanding air.

***

Starscream busied himself by gently tending to the narrow wound on his arm. A short distance behind him, Blitzwing paced, too unnerved to just stand still. Likewise, Starscream couldn't resist his leg jiggling, suppressing the urge to move. Both of them had become anxious after Sari had upgraded herself. They had not yet seen her, but they could tell she was going to be different…changed at the very least.

Like Starscream, Blitzwing had a diagonal cut on his waist, where several drops of energon were slowly drizzling down his pelvis but he didn't seem to notice. The two fliers had not spoken for a time, or, at least, if one of them said something to the other, it would be ignored. Neither 'Con seemed very ready to forgive each other after the…"disagreement" they had had back at base before going to the city.

***

_Half an hour earlier…_

_I am second-in-command, Blitzwing, I will decide who leaves and who stays on missions such as these."_

"_eet vould be illogical for jou to go alone, she iz as much my friend az she iz jours."_

"_That's irrelevant! I'm going! You will stay." he growled with finality. _

_Next thing he knew, the ground rushed up to meet him and dirt filled his mouth. Starscream wretched himself out of HotHead's grip and turned on him, claws flashing. _

"_**I vill come!!" **__he snarled. _

_Purely out of revenge, Starscream pounced forward. HotHead twisted to the side with surprising speed, but not fast enough so that the magenta Seeker could graze the Triple-changers waist, letting the energon spurt along the length of Starscream's fingertips. Furious, Blitzwing lashed out himself, nearly crushing Starscream's arm and slicing into it with his serrated digits. He yanked his arm out his grip before he do any more damage._

"_All right! You may go." _

_HotHead huffed out air impatiently, grey smoke roiling out of his cannons. Whirling quickly, Random took over and said,_

"_Zhat's great! Lez go!" he chirped, running forward. _

_***_

Starscream shot another dirty look at him, still steaming over the confrontation…and his injured arm. He started muttering things. Starscream whirled around, prepared to insult him in many different ways. He calmed slightly when it seemed that Blitzwing was talking to himself; occasionally switching personalities to have different points of view.

After several minutes of self-consulting, Blitzwing sat himself on the edge of the building, completely silent. His back was hunched, almost arched downward as if to launch from his perch at any moment, his optics never leaving Sumdac tower which sparkled in the distance.

"It would be _illogical_, Blitzwing, for you to go to her." Starscream tauntingly sneered.

Blitzwing responded with a distracted flick of his wingtip, barely acknowledging the rude comment. Having trouble ignoring his still position, Starscream walked in agitated circles, also not taking his optics off of the tower that stood on the horizon.

* * *

"Well, c'mon Prime! We definitely can't keep them here!" Bumblebee snapped.

"I know that Bumblebee, but they insisted on following us, I don't know why they did it, but they did and they won't leave, so we'll just have to come up with a place to put them." Optimus reasoned, trying to calm his teammate.

Since they had left Dinobot island, the mechanical dinosaurs followed them, demanding a rematch from the Jet-twins. After some coaxing and convincing on Prowl, BulkHead and RedAlert's part, they had calmed the three beasts down enough to convince them they were friends. But now, they faced another difficult problem: they refused to leave. Sentinel had been furious about it, naturally, but everyone only had audios for Optimus.

MainFrame suggested luring the animals to the lower levels of the tower, in the cellars and keep them there until something could be figured out. His plan was considered, but immediately dropped when the Dinobots refused to move from their places in the corner of the base. They seemed perfectly content to sit and "keep guard" over their new territory. It was then that Optimus was so grateful for the spaciousness of the room. It was clear they weren't leaving anytime soon, so, they figured, for the time being they could stay, until the team figured out how to handle three large robotic-dinosaurs.

Prowl and Ratchet stood to the side, watching the heated arguments. Prowl sharply turned his head to the doors before they opened. Ratchet followed his gaze to see Sari standing in the doorway, leaning slightly towards the right of the doorframe as if out of place. None of the other bots seemed to notice her sudden arrival. Ratchet muttered something to Prowl, and he darted to Optimus and Bumblebee, motioning for them to follow.

Bumblebee repeatedly glanced behind them to make sure they weren't being followed, but the rest of their comrades argued on.

"How do yeh' feel?" asked Ratchet, bringing back Bumblebee's attention.

She rubbed her arm, seeming shy.

"I feel…good. Great, even. It's weird having this new body, though. I mean, its like when you guys transform; its still me, but I look different."

"Hmm, couldn't have put it better myself, kid. But still, its gonna take yeh' some time t'get use to your new body."

"Yeah,"

"So what's it like to have super-powers?" asked Bumblebee.

Sari shrugged and looked over her body again, studying her much longer limbs.

"It feels tall." she said, which earned amused laughs from all of them.

Bulkhead stepped through the doorway, looking anxious.

"Hey, Doc-Bot? Could you come in here and look at Wheeljack's arm? Swoop just pecked him and it looks pretty bad."

Ratchet sighed and followed the larger bot back inside.

"A medibot's day and night never end." he sighed.

Prowl and Bumblebee shortly followed, though Optimus remained behind. Casting his attention back to Sari, he said,

"Are you sure you're all right with this, Sari?"

"Yeah, I feel fine. Why?"

"Well, its just, do you feel okay that the All-Spark did this to you?"

"Are you kidding! I've never felt better. Don't worry about me." she assured him, patting his foot. He took a step back towards the base.

"Good. I'm glad you feel that way. I'll see you in the morning."

She smiled at him and turned to leave herself.

"Good night, big guy."

* * *

Rodimus Prime took a deep breath, letting the oxygen thrum heartily through his vents and bellows. He thoughtfully looked around, inspecting his surroundings. The courtyard of Iacon's hospital and repair ward did not hold many interesting sights. A few benches, and a carved fountain that continuously sprayed and filtered a dark-purple liquid, sparkling as it swirled under the twinkling stars above. A few yards to the left, there was a physical therapist bot who worked at the ward. The femme was busy teaching several patients form of yoga as a way to relax, the positions they took looking akin to Yoketron's teachings.

He stepped down the small set of stairs, but slowly so as not to trigger any unnecessary pain from his legs or chest. The cosmic rust that had only recently racked his body was now completely gone, but he still felt weak from its parasitic effects. He continued walking, glancing at the fountain and the statue that it held as he walked by. He pleasantly waved to the therapist as he left, which she smiled and responded to in a similar way.

The busy intersections were not very far from the courtyard, so as not to overexert himself. He waited patiently for a break in the ongoing streams of Autobots in their vehicle modes as they sped down the road. At last, everyone slowing and stopping at a red light, he nimbly leaped forward, transforming and landing on the pavement just as everyone else around him began to move. His sports-car alt-mode _vroomed_ impressively as he rounded the boulevard to make his way to the Metroplex, where he was expected.

His chassis ached as he felt the sharp, pungent streams of air racing beneath him as he neared his destination. His thoughts turned unbidden to his teammates, which he had been doing for a time now. As their leader, he always worried about them like any commander would, though he, and they, constantly reminded him that they were perfectly capable of taking care of themselves in battle. But, that statement had been slighted when team Charr intercepted them when they tried to protect the space bridge. Everything had gone wrong from there.

They had been very lucky that the Elite Guard team composed of the Jet-twins, Sentinel Prime, and Jazz had arrived in time, scaring off Strika and her members. Ironhide, Brawn, HotShot and RedAlert, as he had learned during his stay in the hospital, had been shipped to earth along with a few other Elite Guard members, on enclosed business. They had refused to tell him why they had been sent, they nearly told him that he would have to go there as well. This heartened him, for it meant he would soon be reunited with his team, and his close friend, Optimus.

The Metroplex loomed in front of him, its towers and ramparts casting dark blue shadows over his red and orange vehicle mode. His tires glided noiselessly as he rolled up the ramp to the doors, which slid open after recognizing his energy signature. He transformed once inside, so as not to dirty the floor. Not far from him, a simple desk was against the wall, where a drone deftly typed away, completely devoid of personality or feelings; it had been brought in as a replacement for CliffJumper, since he had also left for Earth.

"Excuse me," he said. "I'm expected by Alpha Trion, is he here?"

The drone slowly looked up with its single green optic. It stared at him, processing what he had said, until it buzzed out,

"Alpha Trion will see you momentarily." and it went back to it's typing.

Rodimus blinked and walked away from the desk, seating himself on a bench pushed against the same wall as the drone's station. He wondered, would Alpha Trion send him today? He hoped so, for he was eager to be with his friends and teammates again, and for once not have to fight Decepticons like he almost always did.

A humming sound vibrated behind him.

Rodimus shifted in his seat slightly but ignored it. The humming repeated itself, feeling stronger before. He glanced behind him, but there was nothing there. Feeling odd, he slowly turned back around, but the humming came back again, this time accompanied by a rattle. He sharply looked to the right, at the service desk, but the drone didn't seem to care. How could it? The rattling, however, was coming from a garbage chute behind the drone. The humming and thumping was so intense, the metal slot shivered on its hinges. Determined to investigate, he stood up and walked behind the counter, then feeling slightly foolish, flipped open the little panel of metal that covered the chute.

The decay of various products wafted up. He flinched and scrunched up his nose, but he was determined to find the source of the humming. He narrowed his optics, easily focusing in the dark, dank condition. There were many articles of various scrap metal, which had begun to rust while waiting to be thrown in the incinerator. It wasn't this that caught his attention, it was a shard of light-blue metal peeking out of the rubbish. The humming and occasional thumps were coming from it. Immensely curious, he reached in and took hold of the corner of metal, and started to pull.

It wasn't just a small piece, it was a large hunk, a cube, and quite large to be in the garbage chute. It hummed against his fingertips, ringing with energy.

"What are you…?" he murmured.

He rubbed his hands over the cube's surface, feeling seams and sunken areas all around it. The most interesting thing, was an odd dark-blue spike curving out of the top. He thoughtfully stroked the length of it, finding it strikingly familiar. Something thumped against his hand. He rolled the cube over to it's side, noticing the metal was thicker here than in most places, and seemed to be where the most heat was coming from. He cautiously poked the area, and it thumped again, humming even louder as if it recognized his touch.

Rodimus then warily began to pull away the thick metal, wanting to reveal whatever it was that was hidden beneath. The thick, molded plates were difficult, but he eventually pulled them back, but underneath, a thin pane of black glass covered the immense heat source. He took a breath, and lifted away the glass.

Rodimus gasped and nearly dropped the cube. For there, underneath the black glass, was a Spark. He blinked several times, wondering if he was hallucinating. But no, the Spark was very real, and it was alive. He then felt ill, for he realized this "cube" was once the body of an Autobot. Swallowing a few times, he warily reached out, and touched the Spark. He gasped as thoughts that weren't his own filled his mind, making his vision go black. He wondered what had made his vision go dark, but he then realized he was seeing what this Autobot was seeing. A wave of the Spark's thoughts suddenly overwhelmed him, saying,

_Where am I? am I alone? Am I dead? I never thought the Well of All-Sparks would be so dark…._

The familiar mind contemplated for a moment, then Rodimus gasped as the spark's own fear washed over him.

_He was alone. He was alone and in the dark. He was alone and in the dark, and he could not move or see. He could feel the minds of other Autobots nearby, but they were not the minds of CliffJumper or Shockwave. He could feel Rodimus Prime's presence, but nothing else. And then Blurr realized where he was and the true horror of the situation broke upon him, and he wailed into the darkness. He howled and he howled, and he abandoned himself to his agony, not caring what the future might bring, for the traitor Shockwave was free and no 'bot knew who the traitor was and he was trapped here in the dark, alone. Alone!_

With a jolt, Rodimus returned to himself. He was sitting on the ground, curled up in a ball, clutching the cube to his chest, surprised to feel his cheeks slightly wet from the fluid that had run down them. This thing, this cube, this _Spark_, was Blurr. And he was alive. He didn't know how he gotten this way, but he had an idea of who did it. Blurr's Spark hummed against his palms.

Panicking, he pressed the layers of the Spark-casing back over, protecting his friend's life-source. He leaped to his feet, clutching Blurr's crushed body in his hands and ran to the doors, yanking them open whether Alpha Trion had summoned him or not. He emerged into the large council room, where he recognized the different places where various leaders and commanders would sit. Up on the high podium, taller than the others, Alpha Trion sat, his head lowered and looking at a data pad in front of him.

"Alpha Trion sir!" he shouted.

The old bot's head lifted as he looked at the flustered Prime.

"You're early, Rodimus. Could you please wai-"

"We don't have time for that, sir! I have an emergency, Blurr needs help right now!"

The council member straightened and regarded him with aqua-blue optics.

"Blurr went missing quite some time ago, you know that, Rodimus."

"No! he's right here! His Spark is alive! _This_,"

He held up the cube over his head, presenting it to his leader.

"is his body! His Spark is alive, he's online! Please, believe me."

Alpha Trion stared at Rodimus, and then at the cube, his face not showing any emotion. Finally, he rose from where he stood, and stepped down from his podium, then made the short trip across the room to stop in front of Rodimus.

"Please sir, I'm not crazy, look for yourself."

He then proceeded to pull back the thick metal plates, until he lifted the black glass, revealing Blurr's thrumming Spark. A flash of alarm and shock shone in Alpha Trion's optics but he quickly concealed it. Taking the cube from him, the elder held it in his hands, studying it. Like Rodimus, he held his hand over the Spark, then touched it.

Alpha Trion lost all composure of his face, his jaw dropping to form a small "o". The old 'bot shivered compulsively, completely immersed in the howling storm of Blurr's fear and loneliness. Fearing he would hurt himself, Rodimus grabbed Alpha Trion's hand and yanked it away from the Spark. He gasped, beads of coolant dotting his face. He shook his head and wiped the fluid from his brow before turning back to the Prime. A fierce look of determination burned in his optics.

"Take him, wait outside. I'll summon the authorities and the medics. Go!"

Both 'bots turned on their heels, going in opposite directions. Rodimus held the cube to his chest, feeling a strong protectiveness over the 'bot trapped inside. Alpha Trion briskly strode back to his podium, where, once he stood in front of the panel, jabbed an alarm button with his index finger. Police would be here in two clicks, and so would a team of medics. He just hoped he wasn't too late.

The red and orange Prime stood outside, anxiously clutching Blurr's mangled body in his arms. With a screeching of tires, several vehicles pulled up. Four of them, obviously the police, hurried inside, while the remaining five transformed, showing themselves to be medi-bots.

"Where's the patient?" one of them, a femme, sharply demanded.

Rodimus held out the cube to her and said,

"This is him."

They stared at the red and orange 'bot.

"I'm not crazy!" he snapped at them. "This is the Elite Guard member, Blurr! The traitor Shockwave crushed him like this, but his spark is still alive, you have to help him!" he pleaded.

The medics sparked into action. Two mechs transformed, while the femme grabbed the cube out of his hands, and placed him inside a special incubator inside the transformed mech's ambulance-form. Shouting orders at them, she transformed herself and jackknifed out of the courtyard, the two mechs following close behind as they sped back up the road they came, back to Iacon's hospital. Sending a quick prayer for Blurr's sake and a curse for Shockwave's, he transformed as well and sped after them.

* * *

"Put him down, now!!" Wheeljack, usually so calm in bad situations, yelled up at Grimlock, who now had Perceptor hanging from his jaws by his collar. The red scientist eyed the ground nervously and uncertainly, for he had dropped his yellow spectacles on the ground thirty feet below. The T-rex shook him back and forth like a dog would with a new toy.

Finally, RedAlert crept around the dinosaur's lashing tail, and inserted a needle into his armor, pumping a dark-green fluid into him. Grimlock 's optics closed partway and, finally dropped Perceptor. Wheeljack helped his partner up as the large creature growled, and then collapsed in front of them with a hollow _boom._ RedAlert sighed and rubbed her temple, shaking her head.

Perceptor ever so neatly cleaned his glasses then placed them over his optics, regaining his composure after the incident.

"I told you it wasn't a good idea to ask him those questions." she scolded the boys.

"I will not apologize. We do what we must for the sake of science." Perceptor hummed, his voice being much more mechanized than usual, sounding akin to a drone.

She shook her head, feeling tired as she returned to her designated berth against the far wall, next to Arcee who had been woken up by the commotion.

"What happened?" she asked.

RedAlert laid down beside her, resting her head on the berth. "Nothing. Perceptor and Wheeljack won't leave the Dinobots alone."

Arcee looked for herself, seeing Wheeljack standing beside Snarl, petting his neck to comfort him while Perceptor gave the creature a physical. Arcee smiled, finding the sight amusing. Not far from where she lay, BulkHead, Brawn and Ironhide sat back to back, the muscular, bulky trio snoring at various tempos as they recharged. Not far from them, the Jet-twins lay nestled close together--Jetstorm's visor being dull from his recharging state, and puffs of grey-orange smoke would occasionally drift out of JetFire's mouth or from between his fingers.

Turning at the waist, she was about to ask where CliffJumper and Bumblebee were, only to find the red and white nurse-bot already asleep, recharging silently on her slanted berth. Arcee carefully and quietly stepped down from her own recharge-bed, her stabilizing servos clinking quietly against the polished floor. She scanned the room thoughtfully, almost forgetting why she had stood up. Being forgetful, she had become accustomed to, after the incident with the bounty hunter. At least, that was what they told her.

It was then that she realized one of her comrades was missing. The old one, Ratchet. She gazed around the room with large, bright optics, hoping to see a glimpse of red and white, but it was confirmed that he wasn't there. The doors were open. Curious, she padded silently towards them, pushing them apart slightly to poke her head outside. A few small feet away stood Ratchet, fists on his hips, staring at the city silently, his optics having a faraway look to them.

She quietly slipped out between the gap in the doors and crept a few steps closer to him.

"Ratchet?"

Despite his old age, he snapped around with surprising speed, optics alert. He relaxed when he saw it was her, though he still looked oddly anxious.

"Are you all right?" she asked, concerned.

"hm? Oh, yea', I'm fine." he grunted.

"Do you want to talk?"

He did not respond with words, merely shook his head and looked away, and she could've sworn his optics glistened more than usual. Confused as to why the medi-bot acted so strangely around her despite the fact that she had just met him, she frowned and slowly turned back around to go back inside. Ratchet stared after her, his throat constricting as he held back the flood of words that threatened to spill. She left him there on the balcony, leaving him to wrestle with his disquiet.

***

Sari fell back into bed with a soft thump, her thoughts surprisingly empty. So much had happened within the course of twenty-four hours, she felt it would take her weeks to think over all that had happened. She was exhausted yet wide-awake, feeling an equal balance of both, which annoyed her because all she wanted was to close her eyes and fall into a world of dreaming where nothing was real and no one could get hurt. She just wanted, just _needed_, a place to go where she could be alone.

She glanced around her room, finding it so much more different than when she had left it. Not only had her eyes become so much more advanced, so had all of her senses. If she took a deep enough breath, she could easily sense many different odors wafting through the air as easily as a wolf or a hunting cat. Many of them looked like ribbons of color seen through wavering water, depending on the smell. For example, she could smell the soap from her bathroom across the hall, which had a sharp, sweet scent and had a pearly white aura when she smelled it. Her hearing was no different; she could hear the thrumming of tires against gritty pavement on the street, hundreds of feet below, or the sound of a dog's paw-steps as it padded down the sidewalk. Sounds made by her were not lost either. Every time she took a breath, it was like a small gust of wind, which she could track as it raced down her throat, circled inside her lungs and then rushed back out. Her heartbeat was like a pounding drum to her as it thumped between her ribs.

With a single glance, she could count every fiber of dust that clung to a single stalk of carpet several feet away. She could count every individual grain in the wood on her closet doors. Picking up a coin from her desk, she rubbed her thumb against it, and was amazed. Each tiny groove on the edge of the dime was like a canyon; deep and vast and full of microscopic flaws and depressions only she could sense. Amused by what she was about to do, she held the coin against her nose and smelled it. Many smells clung to the dull silver; she could pick out and examine each individual scent given to the coin by the person who had last touched it, even the person who had placed the coin on it's conveyor belt to be shipped to any one of the nearby banks. Smiling, she realized she could even smell the bank and the Bureau in Washington DC from where the coin had been molded.

She took the dime away from her nose and set it back on the table, feeling the wood's rough surface; realizing that before, she would find it smooth and polished to complete flawlessness. But now, with her sensitive touch and strong eyes, she knew this was not true.

After the experience with the dime, she stood up and eagerly looked around the room, her exhaustion forgotten in her eagerness to test her abilities. She excitedly explored her desk, until she picked up a pencil and stared at the tip, being able to discern each different molecule of earthen materials that had been used to make the lead. She rubbed it against her fingertips, the thin sheen of graphite that rubbed onto her finger felt like a tiny amount of gravel rubbing against her digit. She let out a small laugh, giddy with excitement as she set down the pencil.

Feeling reckless, she dashed to her windows and threw them open. A rush of many different things enveloped her. She tilted her head back letting the feelings, smells, sounds and thoughts of the city caress around her with varying degrees of embraces. She sighed, gazing out over her home. Smiling, she sucked in a deep breath, and stumbled because of the strength and the amount of odors that rushed into her nose. Many different colors floated around her as she took this breath. The smell of gasoline and oil and rubber and un-polished steel that emanated from the cars and buildings. Smells of restaurants and hot-dog stands and the smells of cut grass and flowers from trees were something she favored most, while the sewer system and garbage barges emanated more foul scents which she quickly blocked out.

Looking at a building was like standing directly in front of it, no matter how far away she was from each structure. She could smell the people and their pets inside their homes and apartments, she could hear their varying tempos of breathing and pulses along with other noises that they made every time they moved or did some other action. She amused herself by thinking that if there were not thick brick and metal walls blocking her view, she would be able to see and count the pores on the people's skin.

A new thought came to her then. _Is this what Blitzwing and Starscream feel every day of their lives? _She thoughtfully shut her window again, pondering the two mechs. She fell back down on the bed again, shifting into a comfortable position.

_This __**is**__ what they feel all the time, no wonder they could always read and predict me so well. I would too if I could feel heartbeats and sounds and smells from miles away. All this time I've been with them, they've been able to sense everything that was within a few miles of them that easily. _

Sari was also amused when she remembered attempting to sneak up on Blitzwing when he was sitting at his computer or when she had tried to inch past Lugnut and the others when they had been distracted by arguing with each other. Starscream had stopped her and Blitzwing had surprised her first because they sensed her approaching long before they could visually see her.

She pressed her hands against her face, sighing. Having a thought, she pulled back her sleeve and pressed her arm against her nose, and inhaled deeply. Many scents clung to her skin, mostly mechanical. She could smell Bumblebee especially, his sweet, airy scent clinging pleasantly around her. She sensed Prowl and Ratchet and Optimus and many others beside. But she also smelled the familiar, cold scent of Blitzwing.

Being a triple-changer, each personality had his own scent, his own aura, making him somewhat difficult to decipher. Icy had a sharp, cold smell that tasted of pine needles and mint leaves. It reminded her pleasantly of winter. HotHead was quite the opposite, smelling like sharp pepper and gunpowder. Not surprising. Random had a similar sense to Bumblebee; light, airy, and favorably sweet.

But beneath all of that, they all had one thing in common. There was one certain smell she couldn't quite recognize. It was foreign and earthy and metallic, and no matter how hard she thought, she could not identify it. A small ripple of surprise went through her, followed by a small smile when she realized what it was.

_So that's what Cybertron is like._

She kicked off her shoes and scooted underneath the covers, grinning as she felt each individual spun thread. She buried her head against the pillows, still feeling giddy with excitement from her new "powers". She willed herself to relax and, eventually, her eyes closed as the night wore on towards morning.

***

Bumblebee and CliffJumper, after patrolling the city together during their night watch, were returning back to Sumdac Tower. Despite the fact that no people had been out on the streets at the time, CliffJumper was fascinated with the city, and had plenty of questions for Bumblebee as they drove.

"It's amazing how much humans have advanced over the centuries without much aid. And to think, they learned this from Megatron himself!" the red armored car exclaimed.

"No kidding. But what's _really_ awesome, is the roller coasters they have here. They put zero gravity to a new level!" said Bumblebee.

"Hm. What's a roller coaster?"

They continued having conversations such as these all during their trip. But then, they were interrupted as a blue car with gold designs along the body pulled out in front of them, and began speeding the same way they had been going. The red and yellow vehicles jammed on their brakes to prevent a collision as the boxy car sped away and disappeared around the corner of the avenue.

"You failed to mention that humans were such dangerous drivers." CliffJumper commented.

"Ha, that's nothing. You should see Bulkhead drive. Swimming in a tank with a Sharkticon is safer than being on the same road with him."

They laughed at Bumblebee's comment as they continued along the remaining few miles that separated them from their base inside of Sumdac Tower's mid-section. They passed the corner the blue and gold car had disappeared down, only to find it empty. What went unnoticed, was the red visor that stared after them.

Soundwave turned his back to the stone wall of the alley he had turned into to avoid the two Autobot scouts.

"LazerBeak: Deploy." he droned.

The red and black guitar, which was large enough to be held by Soundwave, snapped out of his grip and separated. A large, red and black bird resembling a hawk, flapped in front of its master, waiting for a command.

"Designated mission: Alert Megatron. Inform him Soundwave has pledged allegiance to his cause. Mission status: Top priority."

The bird squawked and gave its wings two great flaps, quickly gaining altitude as it soared higher in the sky and began its flight towards the wilderness.

With LazerBeak already on the move, it was certain that the bird would arrive before he did. Soundwave hunkered down and shifted and twisted his body until a blue and gold box car had taken his place. He, as quietly as his vehicle mode would let him, drove out of the narrow space onto the street and began leaving the city himself before the first few humans could wake. If any people did happen to be out this early, all they would hear was a droning voice say,

"Autobots inferior. Decepticons superior, _All, hail, Megatron_."


	7. The lie of a Star

**Transformers animated belongs to Hasbro, I own nothing.**

* * *

"_Deception is a cruel act... It often has many players on different stages that corrode the soul." _~Donna A. Favors

* * *

Rodimus paced agitatedly in the hall of the medical ward in Iacon city, too distracted to eat, let alone notice the meager portion of energon that one of the nurses had given him. Just being back in the Ward agitated him enough; it brought back recent memories of horrible, painful solar and lunar-cycles in the emergency rooms as the medics shaved and burned away the rust from his body before it could eat him alive.

Since arriving several hours earlier, little information had been given to him on Blurr's condition, and whether or not the fast-moving scout would make it or not. Rodimus was no medi-bot, but even the dullest scrap-headed bot could figure out that Blurr's chances were slim, for did any medic know of a way to give Blurr a new body without extinguishing his Spark? Even if it would be an accident?

He quietly swore to himself that, no matter how difficult or how many of his teammates opposed, he would fight Shockwave and try as hard as he could to off-line the traitor, no matter the consequences for himself. The double-agent was, after all, the reason why Megatron had been so successful in rallying the tyrant's forces along with being able to predict the Council's every move and strategy.

The Prime bitterly muttered and cursed to himself, feeling even more upset than before. Unnoticed by him, the same nurse who had laid out the energon for him stood beside the door, watching him as he paced. The Femme bore a similar figure to Arcee, though her helm was more rectangular like RedAlert's, and two light-blue prongs extended on her forehead like Prowl's, and she bore a red cross on her chest behind her Autobot symbol.

He had still not noticed her and continued his self rant. She sighed as she finally entered the hall, feeling sorry for the lieutenant. She picked up the small energon cube she had given earlier and walked to him. She delicately tapped his shoulder and he snapped around, optics wild. She started herself, taking a small hop backward.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

Rodimus relaxed slightly. He was very stressed, and, having a good friend in the hospital and the knowledge that a traitor was on the loose somewhere aggravated him, tensing him up like a drawn bowstring ready to snap.

"It's fine. How's Blurr? Is he awake? Where-"

"Shh, you need to calm down Rodimus, sir. I'm not aware of your friend's condition. They will send someone else in to inform you."

"Right." he grunted, casting his gaze down and beginning to turn away.

"Rodimus,"

"mmh?"

She placed a delicate, cool hand on his shoulder, looking at him with large blue optics. She proffered the cube to him.

"You need to refuel, you must be starving. And a recharge wouldn't hurt you either. Blurr may be renowned for his speed, but he's in no hurry to leave."

Rodimus stared at the blue and white femme, suddenly overwhelmed by the likeness in personality she bore to RedAlert. She was always trying to calm him down and make him relax too.

_For RedAlert then, _he thought.

She removed her servo from his shoulder and he took the cube from her. She smiled approvingly before turning to leave.

"Thank you." he said.

She paused, her frame halfway out the doors. Still smiling, she nodded at him, quietly thinking to herself,

_Ultra Magnus raised a good mech_.

***

* * *

***

"Give it here!!"

"It's bigger over here!!"

"Shut it, all of you!! _Just put it out_!!"

Ironhide repeatedly stomped his silver foot against the flames that licked at his feet. Nearby, BulkHead and Brawn tried their best to smother the flames with their large feet and toughly-built bodies, while Optimus also sprayed the worst of the flames with the extinguisher on his forearm.

Splotches of black dotted the three bulky mechs as they finally stepped back from the ruined portion of the hall and Optimus, at last, put out the small flickering flames that had remained. They all gasped at varying tempos, tired from fighting the blaze, and from wrangling three dinosaurs into the lower storage basements in the small network of rooms underneath Sumdac Tower.

From behind the thick, steel enforced sliding doors, came furious chorus of snarls and growls from the trapped dinobots. They could not make out the scraps of English that emanated from behind the door, for it was strong enough to even subdue their angry protests. They quickly stepped away from the doors as a wave of heat washed over them from the other side. They were grateful that the metal was quite fireproof as well.

"Ughh," groaned Optimus, sheathing the extinguisher nozzle on his arm. "nice teamwork Autobots."

"How long do you think that door will hold them?" asked Bulkhead, warily pointing at the barricade.

Optimus placed a hand on the metal, finding it warm, almost hot, to the touch.

"Uhhn, long enough. Just until we can find a way to get them back to Dinobot island."

They stepped around the small, cleaning automatons as they rolled out of hidden compartments inside the walls to scrape up the glass and soot that stained the walls and floors.

Ironhide stepped forward, keeping his pace even with Optimus's.

"Huh, if I'd known this was what yea' had t'put up with every day, I woulda' volunteered t' come a lot sooner." he said with an amused expression.

Optimus let out a small laugh of agreement.

"Ha, well, I think that you'd find life on this planet is a lot more exciting than you'd expect."

"You bet we would've," Brawn grunted. "much more interestin' than working with the Elite Guard, I'm not one to complain, but they really know how t' bring a 'bot down."

Ironhide nodded at Brawn with agreement.

They finally emerged into the main lobby, heading around the corner out of the dark passageways and into the sunlit room that was, fortunately, large enough to accommodate them.

It was then that a dark shadow filled the doors, they slid open, and CliffJumper, his face slightly distorted with panic of an unknown cause, pushed his red body through the doorway and looked around, his head swinging from side to side until his optics fell on the quartet of 'bots not a few yards away.

He hurried to Optimus and stood up straighter, pressing the side of his right hand against his forehead in a salute.

"Optimus Prime, sir."

Optimus found the motion so humorous, an Elite Guardsman, calling him sir, _and _saluting him, that he almost laughed. But a few months ago, he would've been the one saluting and showing open respect in front of others.

The Prime retained himself and nodded his head, allowing Cliffjumper to relax.

"What is it?"

"Its Alpha Trion, sir. RedAlert managed to make contact with him back on Cybertron. He wants to speak with you."

Optimus felt his Spark, casing and all, leap up into his throat, and he swallowed a few times until he could his voice. Behind him, Ironhide, Brawn, and BulkHead uttered exclaimed retorts, asking the red scout different questions until Optimus waved a hand at them, and they fell silent.

"Right. We shouldn't keep him waiting. Let's go."

"I have been meaning to speak with you, Optimus Prime. I have been waiting for an update on you and your team. There has been quite a stir here in Iacon."

Optimus stood in front of the monitor, standing straight and at attention in front of his Superior. The rest of his newly enlarged team stood scattered informally throughout the room, though, no one took their optics away from the screen, intent on listening to what their commander had to say. Sentinel, however, still was stinging over the loss of his leadership and had acted bitterly and begrudgingly to nearly everyone, stood directly beside Optimus, hoping to catch Alpha Trion's attention and divert the flow of things to work more in his favor.

"Sir, if I may ask, how is Ultra Magnus's condition?" Optimus asked in a low tone. The others in the room leaned in slightly, raising their heads higher to catch every word of Alpha Trion's response. The old commander sighed, the age weighing heavily on his face.

"I wish I was not the one to tell you this, but it is…declining. Ultra Magnus is not as young as he used to be. The traitor Shockwave knew what he was doing. Ultra Magnus's wounds are healing slowly, but we are not giving up on him, and neither should you. Any of you."

The mixed Autobot team muttered their agreement in low undertones. It was to be expected that Alpha Trion would want them to hold on to the belief that Ultra Magnus would heal soon and be back at head of Council, though no one was very convinced, and Alpha Trion knew it.

"Sir, you said that something was wrong back on Iacon. What happened?"

The elder bot closed his optics for a minute, softly taking a breath before continuing.

"Fate has been unjust indeed these past months, Optimus Prime. The attack on Ultra Magnus was unsettling enough, but just recently, the Elite Guard scout, Blurr, was found by Rodimus Prime."

Bumblebee, turned excited, hurried forward to stand beside Optimus.

"Really?" he exclaimed excitedly. "Is he there? Can I talk to him? Please, sir?" he begged, clasping his servos together and looking up at the screen with large optics. Sentinel shot a angry sneer at Bumblebee, and Optimus looked slightly annoyed as well at Bumblebee's intrusion but Alpha Trion was not so upset as they thought. The leader's optics twinkled with amusement for a moment before the usual aching sadness returned to his face.

"What is your name, agent?" he formally asked.

Bumblebee quickly remembered his manners and stood up straighter, giving a quick salute.

"Agent Bumblebee, sir."

The elder 'bot nodded his head and Bumblebee relaxed his position, though his excitement at getting the chance to speak with Blurr had still not left his face.

Alpha Trion noticed this, but it only seemed to upset him more.

"I am afraid, that agent Blurr has been admitted to Iacon's intensive care Ward. Rodimus Prime found his crushed body in the waste chutes of the Metroplex but a few megacycles ago."

Startled exclamations brushed through the room and everyone moved closer to the monitor to ask questions regarding the blue speedster. Alpha Trion held his hand up and everyone immediately grew silent.

"I am sure you all have many questions regarding Blurr's condition, and I will answer to the best of my knowledge and tell you what I know.

It is a miracle as it is that Blurr's Spark survived such a horrible injury. His body was crushed and compacted in the halls of the Space Bridge Nexus. We do not know yet who activated them, but I have my best guards investigating as we speak. Rodimus Prime came to me and we took agent Blurr's body to the hospital, where, even now, they are working to separate his Spark from the remains of his body, into the shell of a protoform. It is a very dangerous operation and my hopes are low, but I am not giving up hope. If it can be done, it can be done."

The room had grown quiet as they exchanged glances. Bumblebee's face had fallen with horror at the news and his optics glistened more than usual. Even Sentinel had lost his hateful demeanor and now was blank and quiet. It now felt very easy to give up hope and surrender to their growing doubt. It seemed as though Cybertron itself was no longer safe, not even within the supposedly secure confines of the Autobot kingdom.

"I wish I had not been the one to tell you all of this, but I do not want any of my most important soldiers to be left in ignorance."

Optimus quietly nodded his head. No one said anything.

"Now I would like to hear of Megatron's actions. Has he done anything?"

"No, Sir. As far as our scanners go, Megatron hasn't made any kind of move, neither has any of the Decepticons."

Bumblebee tapped Optimus's hip, and the Prime lowered his head to listen as the yellow 'bot whispered something to him.

"Right." he said when he had finished. Optimus returned his attention to Alpha Trion.

"As far as we know, Megatron only has four or five Decepticons working for him, and they haven't tried anything either. The Decepticon, Blitzwing, has been coming and going through this sector, and close to our base. But he hasn't made any sort of disturbance." Optimus reported formally.

A flash of recognition flashed in the old 'bots optics when Optimus spoke the Triple-Changer's name, and, for a moment, his gaze flicked to Ratchet. The medi-bot quietly sighed and gave a small nod at the commander.

"Ah yes, Blitzwing. I remember him well."

"You do?" Bumblebee piped up.

"Bumblebee," Optimus said through gritted teeth.

Alpha Trion's lips twitched upwards in amusement before he said,

"Yes, I do, but the history between him, I, and a few other Decepticons is for my knowledge only, and I will give it to you when the time comes."

Bumblebee seemed displeased, but he kept quiet, much to the relief of others around him.

"Have you anything else to report to me, Optimus Prime?"

"No, sir."

"Very well. I will contact you and your team in the near future, and I will expect a report then."

Optimus nodded and saluted, everyone else mimicking his gesture as the screen flickered and shut off, ending the connection and leaving everyone to ponder what they had been told.

***

* * *

***

"And I'm telling _you_, that you put the ammunition in like _this_, not like this!" Swindle argued, twisting the bullet into the holster two different ways.

Lockdown bitterly swept the gun back out of his grip and said, "You shouldn't correct a 'bot on his weapons, kid. Especially if he knows more about it than you."

"Sure," the sales-bot grunted sarcastically, "I would never argue to an outdated model, especially one of your, ahem, stature." he said, noting how the bounty hunter was, indeed, becoming more aged despite his young looking appearance. Lockdown bared his teeth and narrowed his optics dangerously before they both resumed their argument.

Starscream glanced at them as he strode by, though did not pay them any mind. They had been going off like that for some time now. The Seeker made his way outside where four others were training on the cliff side just outside the doors that was large and rounded out like a small clearing jutting from the side of the mountain. He was grateful to be able to escape outside and away from the dank and gloomy conditions of the caves and tunnels and away from Megatron, who was busy in a private meeting with Shockwave.

Nearby, Blackarachnia was talking with Waspinator, who had yet to learn how to live, and how to fight, as a techno-organic. Starscream sneered derisively at the half-breeds before turning his sight to the other side to watch Blitzwing who stood in front of Skywarp, who, out of his silly fear, was hunched over, servos clamped together with anxiety while his body trembled. To his distaste, ThunderCracker leaned against the rock, the shade giving his armor an eerie tint as he watched the proceedings with unwavering optics.

"Your fears are unnecessary, SkyWarp. Now please, try again." Blitzwing coaxed the frightened 'bot.

The purple flier shook his head, whimpering, "No no, I am perfectly fine right h-here. It was b-bad idea to come out here. Do you know how dangerous sunlight is?"

"Hmph, you're a machine, you fool, UV rays have no effect on you at all." ThunderCracker sniffed.

"Quite." Blitzwing agreed. "Now, zhis is jour Primus-given talent. Eet vould be quite a waste if jou did not put use to eet."

SkyWarp suddenly noticed Starscream, and, at seeing him, dashed past Blitzwing and swerved until he was crouched behind the Seeker, hugging his leg and peering out from behind him. Starscream could not blame him for his fear. He had, after all, inherited the fearful part of his personality. He didn't expect any sort of bravery from him. Still, he shook his leg free of SkyWarp's grip and turned to look down at him. Skywarp looked for all the world like a puppy about to be kicked.

Reaching down, he gently but firmly grasped Skywarp by the back of his collar and lifted him to his feet.

"Try again." he curtly ordered. SkyWarp vigorously nodded and, with a hissing and a snapping noise that made Starscream's arms and chest vibrate with residual energy, the purple Seeker vanished. Not a moment later, he reappeared several feet behind Waspinator, much to the bug's surprise.

Blitzwing, his arms folded, nodded with approval. Likewise, ThunderCracker tipped his head to the side, a pleased smirk on his face. Despite his continuous fear SkyWarp managed a small, fearful smile, and tucked his arm underneath his chest and bent at the waist, trying to bow like Starscream had done so many times to Megatron, though his quaking form made it sloppy and erratic, so he looked more like he was bending down to inspect his feet. This wrung a small smirk out of Starscream, feeling reminded of the times he had tried to show off his false loyalty to Megatron.

The ground suddenly rocked with a violent retort as a mass of soil, rocks and boulders avalanched down the rock face. Blitzwing quickly took several steps back to stop beside Starscream. Behind them, Waspinator, Blackarachnia and Skywarp all stood, waiting until the debris had stopped cascading down.

The entire time, ThunderCracker stayed where he was, watching the rock slide thunder past him. It was several minutes before the churned earth grinded to a halt, with a film of brown dust floating in the air.

"Hm." Thundercracker grunted appreciatively. He raised his hands and looked them over thoughtfully, saying,

"My superior intelligence tells me that sonic pulses will work much more _destructively_, than, ahem, transwarping to safety."

He raised his palm, aimed it at a tanned boulder in front of him and, with barely a sound or ripple of movement, the large rock shattered into gravel as easily as a pot made of dry clay. From behind, he heard Skywarp whimper at the display of ThunderCracker's gift. The blue Seeker, however, seemed very pleased. He turned away from the ruined ground to face the rest of them.

"If my superior firepower could do this to a mountain, imagine what I could do on the battlefield. With my help and unbeatable strategy, the fight could turn in our favor in a matter of clicks."

He raised his grey palms to look at them again, and, in a low voice said,

"And imagine what I could do to a 'bot's body if I directed it their way…"

He glanced up to see the rest of them staring at him.

"Who would like to be first?"

As one, the five of them turned and briskly walked back inside, leaving ThunderCracker alone and irritated.

"Bah, where does he get all of that from?" Starscream growled to Blitzwing.

"Jou." he stated.

"Ahh, yes. That's right. I'm a bigger pain than I expected."

"About time he figured it out." Blackarachnia drawled.

Starscream shot an annoyed glare at her, though he snapped his head around when he heard Random snicker with agreement. The Seeker cuffed his helmed head from behind, making him stumble. HotHead's face appeared after he had regained control, and he shoved his shoulder challengingly. Starscream met his glare with a venomous look of his own. Blackarachnia knew what was coming:

"Boys…."

Starscream threw himself forward, shattering the tension in the air as he tackled the triple-changer to the ground. Waspinator hissed, and SkyWarp howled with fright, turning to dive underneath the computer console and peer out from behind the legs of the chair. From the doorway, ThunderCracker laughed loudly, amused by the now-physical argument.

"HA! Jou couldn't punch a vall if eet vas standing in front of jour face!!"

"Who needs a fist when I can simply-"

Starscream cut himself off and promptly heaved up Blitzwing's body, and slammed him, face first, into the stone wall. Cracks spider-webbed from the rock as thin wafers and chips of carbon flitted down around him.

"-use your _face_ to hit it!!" Starscream finished, laughing as Icy stood up, his optics darting back and forth sightlessly as he tried to recover from his dizzy spell. It was then that Starscream made the mistake of turning away from him to say to Blackarachnia,

"Not as much a pain as that probably was-!!"

With an iron grip, HotHead grabbed the back of his neck and threw him to the ground, both mechs rolling and wrestling on the floor as the other tried to gain control over the match.

Blackarachnia glanced over as RamJet and Sunstorm crept into the room, drawn in by the loud noises and angry cries of their comrades. Eventually, their angry growls and insults turned into small jokes only they knew. Even occasional laughter came from them as they attacked each other, the fight quickly descending into something more akin to harmless brother-to-brother fight.

The fight suddenly ended as a flaring pink blast exploded in the center of the room, blasting the two of them apart. SkyWarp retreated farther back against the wall, and the rest of the room grew frighteningly quiet.

Megatron stood, proudly, at the far end of the room with ShockWave standing behind him like any other loyal servant, watching the scene impassively. Grey smoke drifted sluggishly out of his fusion cannon after the blast he had just fired.

"Save it for the battlefield, Starscream!" he snapped.

The two mechs quickly stood straight and stiffly at the tyrant's presence. Seeming to calm down enough, Megatron focused his bloody gaze on his…protégée

"I have a task for you." he said, motioning for Starscream to follow him.

Seeker and Triple-changer exchanged weary glances, before the chosen 'bot followed after the grey leader.

Starscream had every right to be nervous as he followed Megatron through the tunnel, feeling as though he was being led to a horrible punishment of some sort or some other unpleasant deed.

Megatron entered his own designated sleeping chambers, where he had only recently left from his meeting with Shockwave. Starscream was a Decepticon; he liked things dark and cold and unpleasant when it came to a living space, but this….this was evil. Megatron's very rooms emanated vile hostility, making bristling tremors run up and down his ruffled, chilled armor. The leader, however, did not mind at all, it seemed.

Starscream gave his body a quick shake, his armor rattling and clinking as he attempted to shake off his instinct to leave the malignant room.

"You are aware of the human child that travels with the Autobots, are you not?"

The question was so unexpected that, for a moment, Starscream could not find his vocals, but when he did, he said,

"Yes."

"Good. Then you know the basis of the plan."

"I do."

Megatron turned away from the featureless onyx colored wall to say:

"Good. It starts today. You and Blitzwing."

The Seeker felt a ripple of anxiety ripple through his belly, though he tried to keep it formal.

"And why is Blitzwing being included?"

"I have already spoken with him. He'll know what to do."

He turned his back on the flier once again, then said,

"You will leave in one megacycle." A clear dismissal.

***

* * *

***

Sari took a breath, willed the blood in her veins to move faster, and opened her eyes. Ever since she had upgraded herself, she did not sleep the way she use to. It didn't matter if she was exhausted or wide awake, she merely had to lay down, get comfortable, and will herself to sleep and her bodily systems would slow down. Even in her dreams she was vaguely aware of her surroundings. Then, after she felt she had rested enough, she would focus her energy on her vitals, and she would become wide awake and ready to go about her day, like she had a switch to simply turn herself on and off.

_It's probably impossible to sneak up on a Cybertronian, even a sleeping one! _

Sari mused, imagining that what she was doing was similar to how Cybertronians recharged. Sitting up, she tossed back the covers with a flick of her hand to run to the window and then to her balcony, gripping the railing with bubbling excitement, eager to see her home city in the daylight.

The sun had risen but a few hours ago, basking the sprawling province with warm golden light. She took a deep breath like she had done the night before, letting a wide variety of smells, sounds, and feelings wrap their lucid fingers around her. Suddenly remembering her friends, she took a breath, and was pleased as odors of sugar, honey and oil washed around her. She quickly bounded away back into the room, leaving her windows open in her haste to hurry into the elevator and meet with Bumblebee.

She ran forward with accelerated speed, surprised but excited to realize how much faster she could run. She rounded the corner with perfect precision, leaping into the elevator and then waiting impatiently while it took her up. She kept her head craned straight up, waiting with growing annoyance at how slow the elevator seemed to be going. The moment it did reach its peak, she leaped boldly over the edge, running towards the base doors, only to narrowly miss a thin blue leg.

"Ugh! Watch where you're going, organic!" Sentinel snapped, yanking his leg back.

She stopped, only for a moment, to stare up at him. Her shockingly blue eyes met his equally light-blue optics, and he grew still, entranced by her piercing aqua gaze. She blinked at him, then hurried back inside, leaving Sentinel to stare at the space where she had just been.

Sari eagerly looked around the room, her gaze flicking from point to point as she spotted each Autobot. Arcee sat on her berth, while Perceptor and WheelJack asked her questions in low tones, while RedAlert stood beside her, a slender red and white hand on her shoulder. Jazz, CliffJumper, and Optimus stood at the computer, appearing to be having trouble with a few jammed controls. In a farther corner, Bumblebee and HotShot wrestled, while being watched by an audience of the Jettwins, Brawn, and IronHide.

With a mirthful laugh, Sari bolted forward and pounced on Bumblebee's back, wrapping her arms around his neck. He twisted back and forth with surprise, until he spotted Sari holding on to his collar. He smiled broadly in greeting before slamming his palms against HotShot's chest, driving the air out of his bellows. Sari laughed joyously as Bumblebee leaped to his feet and dived to the side, avoiding a dagger of flame from his opponent's wrist. Sari coughed at the sharp smoke and Bumblebee vigorously fanned it away. The assembled group laughed good-naturedly, and Bumblebee kneeled to the floor, allowing Sari to climb off.

"Hello there, miss Sari girl!" the twins greeted, raising their hands together.

Sari patted Bumblebee's leg and waved back, smiling at the twins.

"Hey guys,"

She exchanged greetings with Ironhide and Brawn alike, feeling much more comfortable around them since her upgrade; being half Cybertronian herself, she felt like she was truly one of them.

"Dig it, OP. No more jams and ready to roll." said Jazz, rising from his seat and patting the keyboard.

"Good, thanks Jazz. And you too, CliffJumper."

"Sir." the red scout responded, inclining his head respectfully.

It was then that Prowl walked inside from his morning meditation, directing a quick nod of greeting towards Sari who smiled back. Going straight to Optimus, he said,

"I received a communications signal from the mayor, Prime. I suggest we put him through.

Optimus nodded, then turned back to the monitor to press a the button that had been jammed all morning, refusing to command the computer. Immediately, a thin green line appeared, and it began moving as the mayor spoke.

"_Autobots! Please, save my city, it's the Decepticons, setting fire and wreaking all kinds of mayhem here. Our destination is on I-98. Please, help us!"_

"Right, we'll be right there!" Optimus declared, and the signal went dead.

***

* * *

***

The antennae on Soundwave's head retracted back into his head as he turned to face Megatron who stood behind him.

"Voice impersonation trap has been laid. Autobot's estimated time of arrival: ten clicks. Suggestion: Send your vassals." he droned.

Megatron smiled, looking pleased.

"Excellent work, Soundwave. Your voice modification worked perfectly. Everything should go according to plan now."

He turned to face Starscream and Blitzwing who stood together in the shadows, their angular crimson optics shining in the darkness. His voice an excited growl, Megatron said,

"You both know what to do."

Both Fliers inclined their heads slightly, making the motion stiff and arrogant. Walking perfectly in step, they strode past to the steel doorway, shoving them open to step outside onto the cliffs and the far drop below them. The doors closed with a muted thump, and they were alone. They stared at the horizon, examining the thick band of glittering grey and silver that rested on the earth's edge. They exchanged disdainful glances, not wanting to speak about what they were commanded to do. Together, they transformed to their jet-modes, climbing high into the rarefied air so they could fly faster, and then began the short distance from their base to the city.

Sari gripped her seatbelt in anticipation as they drove, following Optimus, Prowl, BulkHead and Ratchet. After quite an argument on her part, she persuaded him to let her come with them to fight whichever Decepticon happened to be razing the section of the city downtown. Still, it was going to be sometime before they arrived, so she stared out past the glass, watching the streets flash by, though not quickly enough so that she couldn't discern each small detail that went by.

Detailed fantasies of fighting vicious Decepticons and gun-bearing criminals flashed through her mind. She imagined herself taking all of them down with perfect skill while the rest of her Autobot friends cheered her on. She even went as far as to thinking about battling Megatron, as a way of payback for him holding her dad hostage all those months, and for all the times he abused Blitzwing and Starscream and Lugnut and his other troops, and especially as a way of avenging the Seekers he had killed during the, 'Grey war" as Ratchet had called it.

A small giggle of excitement escaped her lips. Reaching into her shirt, she pulled out her key, still hanging from her neck after she had looped a new strap through it. She stroked the cooled grey metal, amazed that the AllSpark could give her and her friends so much.

"Ready to kick some Decepticon skid-plate?" Bumblebee spoke up.

"Ha, you bet."

"Just wait, it's a little scary at first, I mean, well, I was pretty scared when I-!!!"

A large explosion of orange and yellow flame erupted in front of them, sending the five small trinket of Autobots skidding in several different directions. Sari leaped out of Bumblebee's dirty, ash-covered door onto the street below, both human and yellow robot taking up fighting stances. Sari's posture slackened slightly when she saw the damage already down the buildings.

Many of them were on fire, the flames crackling and rippling in the air as they ate away at the structures they clung to. The street no longer looked like a road, for it was covered with upturned, mangled cars and bricks and ash and other burning debris. A short distance ahead, Ratchet and Optimus worked to extinguish the flames, while Prowl and BulkHead worked to shepherd the humans away from the ruined boulevard. Sari glanced up in time to a black jet shoot overhead, leaving behind flakes of ash and trails of acrid smoke. She watched it closely as it dipped down onto the ground a few streets away.

"TiMe tO ParTy!!! Bwaahahaha!!"

A loud voice, turned high-pitch with maniacal excitement crowed out. Random transformed and landed heavily on his feet, laughing as blistering torrents of flame poured out of his cannons, further destroying the buildings around him. He cackled his glee at the mayhem around him. After all, nothing like a good riot on an unsuspecting sector to help expel excess energy.

Random's face whirled away to reveal HotHead's, who loved the chaos just as much as Random did. The harsh smell of ash, smoke and blood was perfect. It was going to be a good day. After all, his part of the mission was much more fun, all he had to do was create a large enough distraction to separate the Autobots, leaving them vulnerable. Yes, it was going to be a _very_ good day. Though he knew she would most likely not approve of him razing the city, he secretly wished that Sari were there to join him in his destruction. But perhaps she would not make it as enjoyable, by scolding him for starting fires and destroying houses and scaring the humans. No, he thought, he could do it by himself. Right now, there were no distractions of any kind to-

"Momma!"

HotHead snapped his head around, switching personalities to Icy to look for the source of the cry.

"Momma! mommy!"

The piteous cries for help appeared to be coming from underneath a human's transportation vehicle, though whoever the owner had been, they had left it, most likely driven away in fear by his presence. Whimpering cries came next as he listened. The youngling, or so it sounded, had been reduced to whimpering sobs at the knowledge that it couldn't find it's creator.

He kneeled down and, with a simple flick of his finger, tossed the vehicle away to the side like a human would flip over a rock.

The little girl let out a small scream and quickly scooted back, though she quickly stopped because of the glass cuts on her palms. Icy blinked thoughtfully at her, turning his head slightly to examine her with one red optic. The girl whimpered again and quickly looked around before picking up half a brick and pulling back her arm as if to throw it. He blinked at her, amused and almost in slight admiration of the youngling for being so brave. He reached down to pick her up.

"You better not touch me, Des-cee-con. This will really hurt you."

Blitzwing laughed. Not many people heard someone like Icy laugh before. It was a mocking noise, sounding like chips of ice falling onto a larger sheet of ice. The girl lowered her arm, looking offended at being laughed at for her efforts.

When he had composed himself enough, he swiped a finger in front of her, swatting away the brick from her hands in one precise movement. She folded her arms crossly, now more annoyed than afraid.

"My mommy says its not nice to hit." she stated.

Blitzwing looked from side to side, scanning to see if any other humans were in the facility. Despite her, quite loud protests, he swept her up in one hand, standing back up to his full height.

"Ve might as well return jou to jour creator. ….Sari vould have vanted me to." he stated.

"Are you gonna find my mommy?" she asked like she couldn't believe it, staring up at him.

"Ah, yez, your-!!!"

A dark wrecking ball with black markings around it smashed into his belly, driving the oxygen from his vents and bellows and throwing him back. A flash of black and gold darted up the street, and the swift form of Prowl caught the child before hurrying back in the opposite direction as Optimus, Ratchet, and Bumblebee swerved around the streets, weapons drawn.

Sari continued directing people away from the battleground as the fires worsened. If they didn't hurry, there would soon be no way out at all. She stood on the corner, helping when she could if anyone was nearby. Ten minutes later, she was alone in the fiery ruins.

With a roar of Jet engines, Blitzwing, in his alt mode, soared overhead, no new injuries on his body save for a nick on his wing when Optimus Prime's axe had clipped him. He had done his part, now it was time to-

"Oooh? VhaT's zHis?" Random mused, eyeing a human femme standing on the ground below him, alone.

"Let's see her scurry out ov zhis!" HotHead laughed, and he lowered his cannons.

Sari took to looking in and under cars or in the burning shells of apartments and buildings, making sure everyone had left. Where were the authorities? Where were the police? Or the fire department? Hadn't the mayor thought to call them for assistance? Something was wrong…

A short roaring noise was heard and, despite her faster reflexes, barely managed to duck as missile exploded a stone throw's away, throwing her back against the shell of a car, cracking her head against the thick metal frame. Shemoaned and, very slowly, reached up and touched the back of her skull. There was no blood, but her vision flickered and swam and her hearing felt dulled. She swallowed a few times, attempting to stand, only to have a torch of flame streak along an apartment complex above her.

She stumbled away as a fiery mess of melted steel, brick and wood thundered around her. She yelped as superheated chips of stone sprinkled onto her exposed neck. She fell to her knees, oblivious of the flames that roared around her. Her vision clouded and she rubbed her forehead. She vaguely wondered where her friends had gone, then she realized that the fires must've separated them. She hoped that they would be okay. Somewhere behind her, a car exploded, ignited by the hot cinders landing in the pool of gasoline leaking out of it. She staggered to her feet, her pains temporarily forgotten in her panic to escape before she was burned alive.

With a grunt, she broke into a run, grateful for her speed as she dived past flaming cars, falling glass and clouds of smoke. She bolted around a corner, only to run into a broiling mass of smoggy red fire. She turned away from the inferno and went back the way she came, only to realize the flames had spread, blocking her original path. She growled with frustration, then, taking a chance, she ran inside someone's house, which had not yet caught onto the flames, but was filled with choking smoke.

She threw open the backdoor, leaping onto a stone patio. She jumped the railing, just as another blast destroyed the house. Her feet pounding on the pavement, she ran through a narrow alleyway, jumping over garbage cans and empty oil barrels. The moment she emerged into the street, she knew she was trapped. Flames had already consumed the only three routes she had wanted to use. And there was no turning back now.

She whipped her head from side to side, looking for an escape route of some sort. After a moment of looking, she noticed a fire escape leading up the burning complex. If she could reach the top, she could jump from one roof to the next over the flames. It wasn't very smart and her chances were low, but it was better than dying. She broke into a sprint, feeling the intense heat burning her skin raw and singeing the threads on her clothes.

She jumped onto the escape's ladder, quickly climbing to the top in a swift ascent. Once on top, she twisted around in different directions, hoping to spot Optimus and his team, but she was alone. She lurched forward as the building underneath her shifted and, not a moment later, she heard the sounds of shattering glass and falling rubble. Breaking into a sprint, she ran the length of the building, trying to build up as much speed as possible.

She felt the ground slide back behind her, and she leaped, the heat from the flames making tears stream down her cheeks as her legs were burned. She attempted to land on her feet, after all, the building hadn't been far, just an eleven foot jump across, but her legs didn't respond, and she fell, exhausted, onto the ground.

Blitzwing hung in the air, waiting patiently for the next part of the plan. The sound of engines not his own filled his audios and he quickly transformed, rocketing away from the ruins as Starscream approached. As Blitzwing climbed higher into the sky, he said to him over their link,

_Good luck to jou, Starscream._

_Mmh. _

Starscream grunted his reply as he alighted on the ruined street. The fires still flared hotly around him, and he knew he would have to hurry to find his target before the flames could reach her. He quickly picked up on Sari's bio-signature, and strode purposefully down the street, crunching debris beneath his feet like small pebbles.

Smoke trailed along his feet as he extinguished small fires after walking on them. In a single bound, he leaped up on to the human-living-structure where he beheld a limp form on the ground at his feet. His optics narrowed with irritation and he bared his teeth with annoyance. Blitzwing had cornered the wrong human! This one was not the little girl that Sari was, but a young female, a premature adult. If this wasn't Sari, then where was she? And why had his scanners led him here?

Sari slowly and weakly rolled over as a tremor rumbled beneath her and a growl sounded from above. She opened her eyes, but the brown haze of smoke was strong, and all she saw was a jagged outline of a Decepticon, its symbol glowing dingy purple in the smog. She raised her eyes higher to look into the red ones of the Decepticon. They stared at her for a minute, before they narrowed and a bar of jagged white appeared below them as the 'bot growled.

Though in her unintelligent state, she recognized that growl and that sneer. There was also no denying the wings projected from his back. She felt fatigue sweep over her, and her eyes closed.

Starscream kneeled down and extended a long grey claw, carefully flipping the femme's head over to look at her neck and back. Her clothes were stained with ash and small spots of blood where burns and debris had split the skin. Her neck glowed red with a feverish heat. Any moisture that formed from her pores instantly evaporated from the flaring heat of her injuries.

_Perhaps, _thought Starscream, _I can take this human and claimed I saved her from the worst of the fire. Then I can persuade the Autobots then._

He decided with a shrug. He turned his hand over and lifted the femme onto his free hand, laying her on her belly so as not to worsen her injuries. If he showed up with her looking too damaged, then the foolish Autobots would never listen to reason like they should.

He pressed her to his chest, careful not to get her red fluids on his armor, before he leaped away from the building. He broke into a jog. The flames around him had worsened and the debris was beginning to hurt even him. Streetlamp bulbs shattered around his legs, cars would explode, windows shattered. He broke into an angry run, rounding the maze of flaming streets that blocked his way.

As he ran, he started noticing flashes of blue between the cracks of buildings. He wondered if he was seeing things, but then he realized he was looking at water, the wide canal that slunk through the far east part of Detroit before it joined with the bay. He abruptly stopped his coarse, leaping onto a roof as a burst of flame singed his wing. He growled with pain past his teeth, but continued his escape.

The buildings abruptly ended and he stumbled on the bank, his sharp feet catching on the gravelly embankment.

"Gah!!" he snarled, tumbling down into the water.

It was not deep, at least not for him. He stood at least up to his waste in the canal, welcoming the cool touch of water on his heated armor. He glanced down at his chest, only to find his hands empty. He swung his head back and forth, but the surface was barren. He did not know why, but he was oddly afraid, afraid for the human female. He threw himself down, plunging his head underneath the water. His sight was not changed, even underneath the surface.

He glanced wildly around until he spotted a limp shape slowly dropping to the stone floor, bubbles drifting from her mouth. He shot out his arm and clamped a hand around her, quickly pulling her to the surface. He gave himself a quick shake, water streaming off of him in large amounts as he pounded his feet against the ground in his hurried attempt to get to the other side.

Frothy waves snapped and swirled behind him as he bounded over the opposing embankment, wide streams of water washing over him. The femme in his hand started coughing once they were on drier land. He kneeled and quickly set her down, waiting for her coughing fits to end. When she expelled most of the water from her lungs, she sat up, rubbing her temples. She hunched forward and gave a small moan, rubbing her burned neck. The water had washed her considerably, ridding her of ash and the dried blood on her back and cooling her burns.

Starscream tapped her shoulder roughly and impatiently, saying,

"All right, human. When the Autobot scum come looking for you, you're going to tell them how heroically and selflessly I rescued you, otherwise, things will get _very_ physical, with you being my main target and believe me, you do not want that!"

The femme raised her head, and opened her eyes, look straight into his own. Piercing blue meeting fierce red, Starscream's jaw dropped in slack-jawed amazement. Only Autobots could possess such a light, almost glowing shade of blue. Who was this human? How did she get to acquire such eyes? It seemed the femme was surprised as well, staring back up at him with equal amazement.

Starscream studied the female closely. A ripple of anxiety and alarm rippled through him as he looked at her. The clothes were different of course, but there was no denying the colors of her them, the red shaded color of her hair, her tanned skin. And what he noticed last of all, the final piece of evidence that confirmed his alarmed, growing theory, was the grey AllSpark Key hanging from her neck.

"That's impossible…." he whispered.

With a great effort, she stood, her legs trembling and threatening to give at any moment. She managed to bleakly raise her head to look up at him and said,

"Hey, Starscream. Like my up-grade?"

she smiled weakly at her small joke. All he did was stare at her, uncomprehending of who he was looking at. She noticed his upset expression and her expression grew a little more sad, her grin shrinking slightly.

"I guess not…" and she collapsed. She never reached the ground. Starscream quickly held out his hand and caught her. She lay stretched out on his cooled grey hand, her eyes blue slits as she stared, uncomprehendingly, at his wrist. He carefully raised her higher, pinching the edge of her dress and turning her around so she was laying on her back, looking up at him tiredly.

"By the AllSpark, Sari Sumdac, _what have you done?_"

She smiled at him, his chilled armor soothing her aching back.

"I used my key to upgrade myself, and now, I'm like this. Remember the other day when you had that feeling something changed? that was me, becoming this."

He just stared, not believing. Had the AllSpark truly done this to her? Could the AllSpark modify and accelerate the growth of a techno-organic within a few moments? Once again the AllSpark had proved itself to be far more capable than they had believed.

"Are you okay?"

He had not spoken ever since realizing who she was, and it seemed as though he could not find his glossa.

"How, how do you feel?" he asked, surprised by how loud his voice was. She shrugged.

"I feel great, a lot better than I have in a long time."

"and your injuries?"

She rolled her shoulders and rubbed her side.

"Kinda hurts, but I'm fine. Thanks for saving me."

"of course."

"Who started the fires? I didn't recognize the jet flying by."

Starscream bitterly remarked to himself what low stealth a triple-changer could have in broad daylight. Though she still wanted an answer.

"It, I, hm. ThunderCracker. My idiot clone. We had an argument, and he went on a rampage."

She patted the metal next to her.

"But are you okay?"

"I am fi-!!!"

A red and silver axe boomeranged inches from his face. Sari leaped from his hand onto the ground beside him. Starscream raised himself to his full, snarling with rage at the attack.

Optimus Prime raised his hand and caught his axe skillfully with one hand, his legs planted apart in a fighting stance while the rest of his team stood in similar positions behind him.

"Let her go, Starscream." he growled, optics narrowed to dangerous aqua slits. Starscream smirked with satisfaction, raising his null rays and brining them to full power so as to shoot out his Spark chamber. Then he remembered why he was there in the first place and, with a great effort of will, he un-bended his pride enough to deactivate his weapons and raise his arms in a gesture of surrender.

"Ah, Optimus Prime. I have been meaning to speak with you."

Optimus did not lower his axe, but he relaxed his pose slightly to eye him with cold suspicion.

"What do you want?"

"Clearly, you were not there to rescue your human. I just so happened to be in the neighborhood, and, out of the goodness of my Spark, I rescued her and carried her to safety."

"We don't believe that!" Bumblebee childishly shouted at him. BulkHead nodded his head in agreement, raising his wrecking ball suggestively. Prowl and Ratchet's faces bore no emotion, though the ninja-bot did have his servos tensed and angled at his feet where he stored his throwing stars.

Optimus nodded his agreement at Bumblebee, before casting his optics down at Sari who stood by Starscream's feet.

"Is that true, Sari?"

She smiled, and nodded an affirmative.

"You bet. If it weren't for Starscream, I would've been barbecued back there." she patted his leg gratefully.

Ratchet looked at Optimus.

"Prime?"

Optimus sheathed his axe and strode forth, meeting Starscream's smirk with a untrusting glare of his own. He quickly swept up Sari with one blue servo, holding her close as he glared up at him.

"What do you want, Starscream? What's in it for you?"

Starscream's smug look turned into a look of mock surprise.

"Me? Why I don't want anything in return, I wish to ask a favor of you."

"And what kind of favor is that?"

Starscream clasped his hands behind his back and, with great pride, said,

"I ask you, Optimus Prime, to allow me to join your forces and become an Autobot."

Harsh laughter erupted behind them. Bumblebee and BulkHead leaned on each other, guffawing loudly and cruelly.

"D-did you h-h-hear that Bulkhead!" Bumblebee said between laughs, "Starscream wants to be an Autobot!" Bulkhead's deep boom of laughter thundered with Bumblebee's, their mirth ringing forward.

Starscream tensed his claws with rage at being mocked. Who were they to think he couldn't change?! He attempted to move forward, but Optimus stood firmly in place, blocking his way. Ratchet harshly snapped something at the younger 'bots and they grew quiet, but their smiles remained. Optimus turned away from them to glare at the Seeker.

"No, you can't. You never can. If the rest of my team found out they would tear you apart, Starscream."

"Not that we would mind." Bumblebee audibly murmured to BulkHead and Prowl.

Starscream already knew he had intended to say this, so, like he had been taught all those years as a Decepticon, and lied, very convincingly.

"I was afraid you would say that, Optimus Prime, but I have another idea. If you will not let me into your team, then take me as a prisoner, as a way to pay for my horrible crimes. You can do whatever you wish with me and, when the time comes, you may clap me in stasis cuffs and lead me to the stockades."

The whole time, Optimus's leer softened into a thoughtful expression as he considered the Flier's words. Bumblebee and BulkHead's faces fell and even Prowl appeared vehemently surprised, if not alarmed.

"Prime, don't agree to that! You know Starscream, he'll slag you in the back the moment you turn around!"

"Either way, Bumblebee, he has a point. He needs to take responsibility for his actions. Its not my decision to make what his punishment will be."

Bumblebee opened his mouth to argue further, but Ratchet clamped a hard grip on his shoulder, cutting him off. Optimus nodded and turned back to Starscream.

"You're coming with us. As soon as we get our communications back up, we'll report to Alpha Trion and he will decide what to do with you once we arrive on Cybertron. You'll be at the mercy of the council and they will decide your punishment."

Starscream smirked and glanced down at Sari, who smiled up at him. The Seeker stepped back and tucked his arm beneath his chest and bowed.

"I am honored that one so noble as you has excepted me."

Optimus's face hardened into a mask of anger once again.

"I didn't say I excepted you."

He walked around him and started walking away along the canal. Starscream faintly heard him say, "And I don't think I ever will."

Ratchet and Prowl strode past Starscream, paying him no mind as they followed their leader. As they walked by, Bumblebee and BulkHead shouldered past him, roughly shoving the Seeker as they walked by. Starscream scowled at their backs. He glanced over his shoulder staring at the horizon. He could've sworn he saw a twin-rotor helicopter skimming the horizon, only to vanish. He smiled evilly, his teeth flashing in the sunlight as he began following the Autobots.

_Soon, Optimus Prime and his team will be dead, Sari will join me and Cybertron will be mine._

_***_

* * *

_***_

The halls were dark and quiet when Rodimus woken from his stasis nap. In his left hand, half an energon cube resided, forgotten when he had fallen into recharge. He blearily rubbed his optics, sitting up with an effort on the too-small couch. He sat there, alone and recalling the events of the past solar cycle. Blurr's transplant had been but a few hours ago, and now, he was deeply asleep. But Rodimus did not care, his friend was alive.

Somewhere down the hall, a door opened and closed shut quietly. Whoever it was, they walked down the hall with heavy footsteps and rasping breath. Concerned, Rodimus stood, quietly walking down the hallway to the corner and looking around the edge.

A hunched over form, skinny and lightly colored, staggered down the hall, his breath coming in sharp gasps as deprived of oil to wet his throat. His feet scraped along the ground as he weakly shuffled along. He kept one hand pressed against the wall for balance, and his other hand clamped around his chest as if in pain.

Rodimus did not ret reveal himself, but kept behind the wall, studying the patient as he inched farther away. He narrowed his optics, and gasped when he spotted the dark blue spike curving out of the bot's head.

Blurr let out an especially harsh gasp as he stumbled around the corner, nearly losing balance as he left the Prime's visual range. Rodimus abandoned his hiding place to sprint down the length of floor, sharply rounding the corner, only to nearly crash back to the ground as he nearly collided with the Speedster. Parts of Blurr's body were gray and faded black, remnants of his new protoform body. Otherwise, he looked extremely malnourished and very sick.

Rodimus leaped to his feet and grabbed Blurr's shoulder. The blue-grey bot couched loudly and stumbled forward; had it not been for his strong grip, he would've fallen.

"Has your processor gone haywire, Blurr! Get back in bed right now!" he commanded, letting the smaller scout lean on him. Blurr wheezed again before looking up at Rodimus, his optics dull but still glowing with a fierce determination.

"I can't, no not at all, no bed for me, I must stop the traitor before its too late its probably too late anyway but I have to warn-"

His breath was suddenly chopped off, and he clutched his chest, a small moan escaping his lips. Without much effort, Rodimus heaved up the bot, carrying him in his arms.

"You're lucky to be online as it is, c'mon we need to-"

"No." he said firmly.

"What?"

With a grunt, Blurr climbed off of Rodimus, and began his hunched walk towards the exit, but with more speed and less harsh intakes.

"Blurr, stop!" he called, hurrying after him. He ran after him, coming outside into the night, only to see Blurr slinking his way towards a small escape pod ship, that looked like it belonged to one of the Elite Guard's flagships. Rodimus ran to leap up the small set of stairs leading to the entry hatch.

"I'm not going to let you do this, Blurr."

The speedster, looking angry, clamped a hand tightly on the Prime's shoulder.

"Now you listen to me Rodimus Prime you may be higher rank than me but I am not under your direct command so therefore I may do whatever-"

"Blurr!"

He quickly stopped his monologue. Rodimus was grateful that he was not completely healed, If he was, then he wouldn't be able to understand him at all.

"I wasn't going to stop you,"

Rodimus reached over and pulled the door open with a small hiss.

"I'm coming with you."

Blurr blinked, both surprised and touched that a Prime would help him, a scout and messenger. The red and orange mech carefully led the injured speedster onboard, helping him to a recharge berth tucked snugly against the wall. Blurr gratefully laid down on it, wordless thanks in his optics. Rodimus put a servo on his shoulder.

"Stay well, and recover fast. Because if you don't I'll be in trouble with the entire council, and your doctors. Just leave it to me."

Blurr smiled gratefully as Rodimus walked through the cabin's doorway to seat himself at the controls, placing his hands on the steering wheel readily.

"What's our destination?" Rodimus asked, gripping the controls as the ship lifted itself smoothly off the ground.

"Earth. Go to Earth." he coughed.

The Prime was surprised at the request, but also grateful, for he had been meant to be shipped there in the first place.

"Hold on tight then."

Their small ship angled upward and, with a burst of flames, soared steadily into the atmosphere, leaving the ground far behind as they climbed. Ten clicks later, Cybertron's surface lay far below them as they flew out of the atmosphere and the glaring moon. Star-filled Space lay spread out in all directions, welcoming them into its dark recesses.

"Earth, here we come." Rodimus declared, and accelerated forward.

Strika stood at the front of her deck, watching the Elite Guard ship fly away. The rest of team Charr stood around her. Cyclonus, at the controls, twisted around to look at her.

"Orders, Strika?"

"Follow zhem. Knowing zee Elite Guard? Zhees should be fun."

* * *


	8. New powers, old hatreds

**Transformers Animated belongs to Hasbro, I own nothing.**

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*******

* * *

"_With realization of one's own potential and self-confidence in one's ability, one can build a better world." _~Dalai Lama

* * *

*******

Blitzwing scrubbed away the last of the thick black soot from his cheek, wiping the ash on the wall and leaving a large black scuff mark. To aid him in stealth, he had rolled in a pile of black soot from the remains of a smelting factory to dye his body a rich black. If Sari had discovered it had been him laying rack and ruin to her city, she would be furious and, while he could bear the wrath of angry comrades and the occasional verbal assault from Megatron, he did not want to face the anger of a loved one.

He looked himself over, pleased that he was clean and proceeded outside, feeling the sun's rays make his plating heat up to a comfortable level. He stood on lookout, his optics flicking back and forth until they caught a flicker of color some hundred feet above him. He focused on it, curious, and saw a glimmer of orange and turquoise as LazerWave and SunStorm darted back and forth in the sky. He watched them for a moment as they performed their moves.

He blinked with surprise as SunStorm fired upon his sister. The null-ray blast flashed by her wing, leaving her unscathed. He watched with interest as they continued their assault in the sky.

After slow minutes of them exchanging fire and flying past each other, LazerWave flew abreast of her brother, and feinted right, catching him off-guard. He cringed as the femme latched on to SunStorm's back, pinning his legs together with her feet, digging her talons into his arms and pressing them against his sides, and then lashed out and sank her teeth into the crest on the rear of his helm.

The orange mech howled and cried out, thrashing wildly like a trapped bird in a net. After struggling against her for a few clicks, his body went slack and he submitted to her. Looking pleased, she gently unclasped herself from him and he whimpered as her claws and fangs unhooked themselves from his armor.

They slowly drifted downward together, going to land on the far side of the mountain and disappearing behind the ridge. Blitzwing took flight himself, wanting to investigate as he skimmed the rock, keeping his optics on the place where they had disappeared. He sloped downward and spotted Megatron himself, standing in the semi-circular space that separated mountain from forest. Lugnut stood by him like the blind loyalist he was, and Sunstorm sat beside RamJet, shivering from his stinging wounds while Megatron spoke something to LazerWave.

No one paid any mind to his arrival as he alighted on the grass. Remembering where Starscream was, he took the liberty of standing beside ThunderCracker. Just behind him, SkyWarp cowered, holding his brother's leg and not taking his glistening optics off of Megatron, for fear that the grey warlord would shoot at him for no reason as he was rumored to do. The Blue Flier grunted his greeting and Blitzwing inclined his head slightly, folding his arms primly.

"Vot iz ze activity?"

"Air Combat. Megatron says its our best advantage and he wants to see how gifted we are,"

A narrow-optic smirk grew on his face.

"Though I think he will find the rest of them bumbling idiots compared to _my_ skills."

LazerWave strode proudly back to her place beside SunStorm, murmuring something in his audio. Megatron's optics traced the line of assembled fliers, debating on which pair to send up. ThunderCracker suddenly grasped Blitzwing's servo tightly and pulled him forward, proclaiming,

"_I_ am ready to express my perfect skills, my liege." he said bowing with his free arm. Icy growled and tugged at his captor, but his grip was unyielding. The grey mech looked them up and down, but decided it would be interesting to have a short-tempered Triple-Changer and overtly-smug clone battle.

He nodded his head upward, indicating that they may proceed. The Seeker released his wrist and soared upward, the hot air from his thrusters making the grass wrinkle and wilt. With HotHead's urging, Icy soon followed. Thundercracker hovered evenly in the air, allowing Blitzwing to rise to his level without incident.

The cerulean clone drifted in lazy circles around his opponent, physically mocking him by not taking the first shot. Blitzwing took up a similar flight pattern, both cons gliding in a circular diameter of eighteen yards. Finally, Thundercracker crossed his arms behind his head and tipped backwards, hovering lazily in a reclined position.

"Hmm, well, well, well, Blitzwing. Quite an opportunity we have, don't we? To see who, that is, myself, is better in combat.

"Mhm."

"Tell me, how fares your pet?"

"Excuse me?"

"Yes,"

He uncrossed his arms and flew in shallow figure eights, maintaining his altitude as he continued.

"Your little female-human-pet. Its no secret among the rest of us that you kept one in your quarters for a time."

He glowered at Starscream's relative. How dare he speak about Sari that way! Let alone speak to _him_ in such a condescending manner. Though, beneath his taunting sentence, he realized that not one word in his comment had been complimentary of himself, or his "good looks" or "undefeatable" skills.

_Most fascinating. Starscream's clones haff been on-line for such a time, zhey are developing zheir own complex personalities._

"Eet is no concern of jours what my affairs are."

ThunderCracker ignored him and drifted closer, gliding in small, space-invading circles around him.

"Perhaps I will claim a human for my own. They must be _quite_ amusing from what I've heard, and from what _you've _experienced. Tell me, Blitzwing, how hard can you squeeze one before they just, burst?"

The Triple-changer had heard quite enough. He lashed out with speed born from years of practice, and clamped a tight servo on his opponent's neck, slowly increasing his crushing grip as he said,

"You vill no longer speak to me in such a cruel manner. I may have had a human of my own, but zhat was long before jou and Megatron arrived. And jou are vrong: A human iz not just zome plaything jou can torment at jour leisure."

He tightened his grip much more for emphasis, feeling pleased at the rage etched onto ThunderCracker's face. With rasping breath, he jeered at him,

"Oh? And how did you view yours then, hm?"

"As a friend and partner; the one member of family that I nevah had. The companionship I posses is envied and sorely missed in our War. Jou vould do well to forget za idea jou have on humans."

"Bah! What a tale that is, Blitzwing. You say that about _your_ femme, but what of others? Even that imbecile Lugnut is not stupid enough to know that you could care less about the deaths of thousands, if not millions of them. And when Megatron wins this war, it will be just, like, _that_."

Blitzwing relinquished his grip and shoved him away, staring at him through thin red optics.

_I will not submit to him. He is trying to guile me into fighting him, and I will not give him his way. _

He hunched his head and promptly transformed, pointedly turning his back on the clone and descending back to the ground with his usual swiftness.

"Don't you turn your back on me!!"

A blast from a null-ray suddenly burned his wing, making his helpless, and quite useless jet-mode flounder in the air with pain. Blitzwing halted his descent and transformed, twisting around just in time to see the angry clone plummeting towards him. Both mechs roared with both pain and anger as they collided, frightening the birds in the trees below with their enraged cries.

They had no discernable attack pattern; either one was simply trying to cause the other one as much pain as possible. ThunderCracker, mimicking his sister's move, tried to twist around above him to pin his arms and legs and immobilize him with a bite at the base of the neck. Blitzwing didn't wait for him; he rolled to the left, his wing slapping loudly against the clone's collar and then clipping him in the jaw. As he attempted to turn away, ThunderCracker lashed out and clawed the malleable armor of Blitzwing's lower belly.

Hissing, he kicked the blue flier away, cracking the orange glass on his chest. ThunderCracker curved out of the attack and turned around to come flying in a perfect line straight for him, claws outstretched as if to pounce.

_Ha! He intends to attack me in such a simpleton manner? Defeating such a lowly opponent is too-_

Blitzwing's thoughts, feelings, and senses in general all went blank. He tried to gasp but found he could only gape at empty air. It felt like he was drowning and slowly being crushed at the same time. Unable to stay aloft, his engines failed him and he plummeted downward, the gravity pushing him even faster. He continued falling at such rate, it was sure that terrible injury was inevitable, if not off-lining. He, still gasping, looked back up, only to see ThunderCracker's smirk and his outstretched palms. He felt his body hit something hard and metal, then a flash of white, and darkness.

*******

* * *

*******

Starscream faced the crowd of enraged Autobot faces with calm acceptance, a pleased smirk on his faceplates. It had been wise of the Autobot leader to warn his comrades beforehand about his decision. Though he believed the Prime truly _wouldn't _have minded having one of his worst enemies torn to shreds by the vengeful Autobots, it still had been wise. Any other 'bot would've quailed at the sight of a gathering of his worst enemies, all of them ready to slag him the moment he so much as blinked, but Starscream faced the drawn weapons with accepting arrogance as the loud blue Prime shouted furiously in Optimus's face.

"First, Elita-one, then Ultra Magnus appointing you temporary commander, and now _this_!! He yelled, sharply pointing at the Flier.

"I always knew you had a few bolts unscrewed Optimus, a little incompetent and slow at the least, but this is ridiculous! Do you want the Decepticons to win the war? How can you agree to accept Starscream as an Autobot when you are barely one yourself?! Just wait until we get back to Cybertron, they'll throw you in the stockades with the other 'Cons so fast it'll make your processor spin! Now what do you have to say for yourself?"

Optimus pushed Sentinel's finger away, which he had been doing since the other Prime continuously jabbed it into his chest.

"I never said I was accepting him as one of us. Second, I don't have any "bolts unscrewed" and I _do_ know what I'm doing. Now I would appreciate it if you would stop yelling at me and listen."

Sentinel shivered, suppressing the urge to move. They wondered if Sentinel was going to punch him.

"All we have to do is hold him prisoner here for the time being. When we get back to Cybertron, we'll let Alpha Trion and the rest of the Council deal with him. Think about it, Sentinel. Do you know any other Decepticons that would be this willing to give themselves up?"

He refused to meet his gaze, though there was truth in his words.

"…Fine! Okay! We'll just put him in the same room with the Dinobots, and-"

"You know we can't do that."

"Fine, we'll put him in the human's tower and keep him there. But don't think you're getting out of trouble that easily! I'll be reporting all of this the moment we get back."

"Fine." he grunted.

They walked together towards Starscream, studiously ignoring each other. Optimus did not take his optics off of Starscream as Sentinel called over Brawn, IronHide, BulkHead, and Prowl, ordering them to surround the 'Con, and motioned for them to proceed inside.

They traveled back down the dark recesses of the tunnels from which Optimus and the others had brought the Dinobots. They descended down wide staircases and several elevator platforms, the air growing thicker and colder as they went underground. They passed by the Dinobot's doors, listening to them as they continued their rants of protest.

Starscream's prison was at the end of the hall, just as reinforced as the Dinobot's doors were. The cell was bare, and seamless. Dozens of feet below ground and, by the look of it, no possible way out.

"Hm, this looks cozy." Starscream chirped pleasantly.

Sentinel scowled and suddenly jammed a mouth couplet onto the flier's face, covering his mouth and nose and leaving him speechless. Starscream's optics bulged with rage as the blue Prime tightly clamped a pair of stasis cuffs on his wrists as well, paralyzing him. Only his crimson optics moved.

With a rough shove, Sentinel pushed the helpless Seeker into his cell, Brawn and Ironhide snickering cruelly as Starscream thudded to the floor, not even able to stop his fall.

"Sweet dreams, _Decepticon_." Sentinel jeered, and slammed the door, leaving Starscream in the darkness.

…_humph. That one will be the first to die._

_*******_

* * *

_*******_

"Blurr, exactly how did you get this ship? How were you able to call it?"

"I used a homing device attached to my comm-link to call it all Elite Guardsmen have one I mean you might not but when my training was complete I-"

"Stop! I mean, I think I got your point Blurr."

Rodimus shook his head. It was always a challenge to understand him, but even in his damaged state it was nearly impossible! He could not yet speak with his original velocity, but he was improving. The benefits of his Speedster-frame meant that his body healed swiftly as well, which was a great benefit due to Rodimus's lacking skills of medicine. Every day, the dull parts of his armor brightened into their shades of water-blue and royal blue as he healed. His difficulty to breath had ceased as well.

"Do you really believe that the traitor Shockwave is on Earth? And with Ultra Magnus's hammer?"

"Yes I believe that I know it for I am absolutely positive."

"Hmm,"

Rodimus shuddered to think of Ultra Magnus's powerful weapon in the hands of a Decepticon. It could only mean misery for those around the traitor. Putting the ship to autopilot, he stood, stretching his aching back and arms and proceeded forth into the cabin where Blurr lay. The smaller mech watched as he pulled out an energon cube from their rations in a small cube-cabinet. He seated himself besides the patient and tipped the pink contents down his throat. Blurr gulped gratefully until the clear container was empty.

Setting it aside, he pulled out a medical kit from beneath Blurr's berth and withdrew a needle and syringe filled with green liquid. He pressed the tip beneath his forearm plates into the soft tubing, dispelling the contents into his system. Blurr shivered with relief as the painkiller soothed his aches.

"aaahh, yes that feels much better very much better indeed thank you for helping me because I don't think I could do it without you."

Rodimus just blinked and supplied a friendly smile, having only caught a few snatches of the hurried sentence. An alarm sounded from the cockpit. Glancing up, Rodimus stepped away from Blurr and walked back to his chair, looking down at the rounded tracker on his panel. A red blip was steadily making its way towards them. Afraid, Rodimus quickly seated himself, saying,

"Computer, analyze."

"_Incoming flag ship: Allegiance: Decepticon."_

The mech cursed and secured himself in the seat, twisting his head to call a warning back to Blurr.

"Hold on tight, Blurr! We have an inbound Decepticon warship coming right-"

A violent explosion jarred the ships left wing, bucking Rodimus in his seat. He swore again and turned off the Autopilot, grasping the controls and quickly going over in his mind what Ultra Magnus had taught him about air combat. Decepticons always possessed the most heavily armed war ships. They could out fly almost any Autobot vessel and were at least many times larger. All in all, their chances were pathetic. But Rodimus would not go down without a fight.

Bracing himself back, he accelerated forth, in hopes to escape. Flashes of pink shot past them as they were fire upon. Rodimus gritted his teeth and hoped that the ship would hold out long enough for them to make it to some sort of safety. Reevaluating his position, he came across another idea.

"Computer, search for nearest Space Bridge, stat!"

"We've been toying with them for long enough; now let us destroy them!" Cyclonus snapped.

Strika held up a servo for silence.

"No, follow zhem. Rodeemus Prime vas alvays a sneaky vone. I vant to zee vhat hee intends to do."

No more shots were fired, save for the occasional warning blast that would send their small vessel bucking into a different direction. It was almost like they were being…herded, somewhere. Rodimus did not have time to worry about something so unlikely as that. As far as he knew, it was quite stupid to think that the Space bridge they were headed to could help them. It would be too much like when he and his team had lost to Strika's. Who was to say they wouldn't succeed in claiming this one as well like they did before? But still, they had to try.

The mech gripped the steering handles so tightly his fingers creaked where they shouldn't have, paining him. He veered the ship wildly to one side, dodging a large asteroid as it tumbled past him. Judging by the large rock belt they now flew through, it was clear they were getting closer. The decepticon war ship behind them fired several more times, either furthering the damage done to their small carrier or shattering the large rocks around them and cracking the glass on their window shields.

A lone grey planet drifted before them, composed of lifeless cold stone, the only color on its surface was the two-pronged towers of orange of the Space bridge. Seeing how close they were, Rodimus accelerated as much as he dared, quickly closing in upon the planet. The controls and metal walls heated up for a moment as they descended. A wall of grey-blue stone filled the window shield.

"Hold on, Blurr!!" They collided.

Their ship skidded and scraped across the landscape, throwing Rodimus forward in the seat with such force his seatbelt snapped like thin twine and he was thrown against the glass shield. He fell back onto the controls which issued copious amounts of smoke and yellow sparks as he thudded onto them. Pain laced his body as he was thrown in all directions in the cockpit, and nausea overlapping his own feelings as he heard and even felt Blurr's already weak body thud around heavily in the back.

After what felt like an earthquake lasting for hours, their ship slowed and came to a stop in a ruined, smoking mess. The Prime attempted to stand but was overwhelmed by dizziness and the pain from his helm. He sat down on the floor, grasping his head and waiting for everything to stop spinning. When he had recomposed himself, he pried apart the thick metal that had been crushed together during the collision, and stepped into the cabin.

Blurr lay slunk at the foot of a window, his limp servo clamped on the edge in either a feeble attempt to leave or to hold on to something. Rodimus ran to him and gently un-pried his tight grip from the ledge and rolled him onto his back. His optics were closed, a small trickle of energon oozing from his lips. Afraid, he heaved the small messenger onto his shoulder and kicked out the door, stumbling outside onto the grey earth.

He jogged away from the ravaged ship, fearing the spilt fluids might ignite at any moment. He kneeled and carefully laid down the blue scout onto the cool grey rock, checking for a Spark-pulse. Rodimus sighed and tilted his head back to the sky with relief when he felt one. However, in some places, he still leaked fluids, staining the dust below him with it. He had no supplies on him whatsoever, so he once again scooped up Blurr in his arms and began a brisk run towards the Space bridge, which lay some hundred feet away.

A rosy explosion burst beside him, making him trip and stumble, but he regained his footing and continued running, already knowing who it was. The bridge was just forty-five feet away. A roar of jet engines sounded overhead and he pushed harder, attempting to evade Cyclonus as he rained fire from overhead. Rodimus could now make out the control panel on the bottom of the towers. Cyclonus curved up and soared away in a broad u-shape, avoiding crashing into the bridge but intending to come back around and continue his assault.

He skidded to a stop, leaving small clouds of blue dust in his wake as he frantically typed in the coordinates Blurr had supplied him with earlier. A deep moaning and a rumble issued forth, and an enormous ball of blue energy formed in the center, crackling with white lighting. Slinging Blurr onto his shoulder, he drew his bow and arrows, knocking one and aiming carefully at the left prong of the tower.

He gasped and ducked as another explosion from Cyclonus nearly killed him. He blinked the grit from his optics and stood back up, looking behind him to see Cyclonus zooming straight for him, getting lower as he flew near as if to pounce. The Prime quickly rose to his feet, and released his arrow, which arched up beautifully and buried itself in the orange metal of the bridge. Getting a good grip on the rope that was attached to it, he pressed a button on the handle of his bow and he was lifted upward, following the flight pattern of the arrow. Not a moment later, a purple katana buried itself in the control panel from where Rodimus had only just been standing. The Space bridge sparked and emitted painful noises.

"No!" shouted Rodimus.

With a heave of his chest and legs, he swung forward, and into the sparkling orb of blue light, both he and Blurr vanishing as they departed through the Bridge. With a great white flash and booming report, the light vanished, the only traces of the transwarp field being tendrils of grey smoke drifting from the prongs of the tower.

Cyclonus roared with rage at his escaped prey, plunging his remaining katana into the stone with a resounding crack. He stood there with optics narrowed and blazing as he glared at the spot where his enemies had been. He clenched and unclenched his servo from the handle of his weapon, not moving even as Strika, OilSlick, Blackout and Spittor walked up beside him.

"Cyclonus, vhat happened?" Strika demanded.

"I…I underestimated my enemies."

He bared his teeth with renewed anger, and with a sharp growl, he ripped his sword from the ground as if he were pulling it from the body of an opponent.

"I mistake I will not make when I meet them again."

"You should've keeled zhem vhen you had ze chance!" she berated him. He turned on her angrily.

"They would already be dead if you had listened to me and shot them down the moment we followed them!"

"How dare you talk back to your commanding officer!"

"You are not my superior, Strika! I-"

"Excuse me." Both mech and femme sharply turned on OilSlick, who had calmly interrupted their argument.

"What!?"

The cycle-bot calmly pointed at the Space bridge panel.

"You should recover your weapon, Cyclonus. Then I suggest we be on our way, Strika. Has Megatron not given you coordinates for our destination?"

Strika bitterly ended the argument and stormed past her comrades, briskly striding back to her ship, the others following her. Cyclonus scowled and sheathed his sword, turning his back to them as he walked to the bridge and harshly yanked out his remaining katana. He inspected the panel a moment, and saw the screen was flickering, but still on-line. The Autobot's red symbol glowed on it, contrasting sharply against its blue background. The purple flier growled with hate and pulled out his katana. With a loud snarl, he twirled around and sliced the Autobot symbol in half. He sheathed his weapon once more and turned away from the grey screen, leaving the rest of the panel to burn.

*******

* * *

*******

A ring of trees framed by mid-day sky greeted him when he woke. From a distance, birds sang their music again. His vision fizzed and flickered until he managed to get a clear visual of his surroundings. Lugnut, Blackarachnia, SkyWarp and Sunstorm all formed a kneeling, half-circle around him.

Blitzwing blinked several times, his optics sore. He pushed himself up off the grass into a decent sitting position as he inspected his surroundings.

"Illogical…vhat happened to me?"

"ThunderCracker used his little "gift" on you. You fell out of the sky, three-face." Blackarachnia informed him.

"I see. And after zhat?"

"Lugnut caught you. Or at least tried to, he stopped your fall and fell over himself." she said.

"How do you feel, O glorious three-faced fighter?" asked SunStorm, servos clasped together.

"I will recover." he said. Blitzwing turned to Lugnut who had been sitting patiently beside him. Random clapped a hand on his comrade's arm, saying,

"aah, zhanks for saving my aft, Luggy."

The larger mech shuttered his optic once in a blink and grunted.

"You should not have upset our glorious leader, Blitzwing. You didn't fight back when you should have."

"mmh. Vhat of ThunderCracker?"

"He almost slagged you but Megatron is off praising him right now."

Everyone stood back as he began to right himself.

"Next time, I won't run away."

"What? W-why not? Ru-running away s-saves your Spark." stuttered SkyWarp.

"Only if you are a coward."

Skywarp blinked.

"Coward indeed, Blitzwing."

If not already impossible, SunStorm kneeled down, hunching his back even more, SkyWarp crawled behind Blackarachnia and Lugnut took up a similar position to SunStorm. Blitzwing and Blackarachnia remained upright.

"Why didn't you react?"

"eet was not an honorable fight."

"Do you think _honor_ will matter in the field?"

"…No, sir."

"Then I expect you to extend the same courtesy to your enemies that Thundercracker showed you."

"Yez, Lord Megatron."

He nodded, than looked past Blitzwing, seeming to be thinking of something. After a moment of contemplation, he said,

"Track Starscream's energy signature, see what the Autobots have done with him. Then return and report back to me."

"Very well."

Those closest to him, stumbled back from his sudden transformation and take off. Megatron watched him go while the others picked themselves off the ground. ThunderCracker emerged from the trees at that particular moment, craning his head back past the trees to watch the jet leave.

"He'll always run away from a fight, won't he, Lord Megatron?"

"Yes. and I await the day to be rid of him."

*******

* * *

*******

Henry Masterson grumbled bitterly and regretfully to himself as he screwed in a plate of dark purple armor on the Decepticon body. It had been pretty banged up when he had found it, lying partway in Lake Eerie. But after revenge driven determination and an extensive knowledge on machinery, he had finally repaired it to a workable level. He would just have to be careful not to overexert the body, lest it fall apart while he was still inside. He then placed his signature hat on his head as he preceded to step inside, growling out loud to himself,

"Those noobs don't know who they're messing with. No one fires the Master-man. _Twice! _Not without mucho-serious consequences."

He settled into the seat and took hold of the controls, feeling the thrumming vibrations as the empty shell of Starscream's clone hummed to life.

"Yes!" he jubilantly declared as he lifted upward, the body now completely at his command.

"Now there's gonna be some serious payback!"

*******

* * *

*******

Sari waited with growing impatience as she waited for Sentinel and his appointed team to emerge. She wanted to follow, but decided against it, knowing that Optimus would not permit it. She pressed herself against the wall around the corner as they all emerged. Brawn and IronHide were laughing about something, and the two Primes just looked irritated. When they were all around the corner and outside, she backed up a few steps, then without hesitation, began running down into the cellars where Starscream was being held.

It was difficult and very cold as she descended, trying to find the last cell based solely on memories. She strained her ears, listening carefully for the noises made by the Dinobots. A growl rippled in her ear and she immediately turned right, bounding down the hall with the speed given to her by her upgrade.

She found relief as she past their door, feeling the heat still rolling off the doors in great shimmering waves. She warmed her hands over the metal for a moment before facing forward, looking at the last door at the end of the hall. Starscream was in there.

It was terribly unfair to throw him in such a cold prison, but, then again, the Stockades were probably no better. She slowly walked up to it, pressing the side of her head against the metal. She could feel a faint warmth, a faraway Spark-beat, and the smell of oil and jetliner fuel. The door, at her touch, suddenly slid open, revealing Starscream sitting against the far wall, with stasis cuffs on and what looked like a weird cup of metal clamped over his face.

He blinked at her repeatedly and he grunted something from behind the couplet. She ran up to him and, with a few feline bounds, she jumped from his foot, to his knee, his chest, then up to his face. She pressed her palm against the clamp, her hand glowed, and the mouthpiece unhinged itself from his jaws. He shook his head and it clattered away. He turned his head back to her, looking impressed.

"So, this _upgrade_ of yours, it gave you powers too?" he smirked.

She looked at her hands. "Kinda."

He looked down regretfully at his stasis-cuffs, and she quickly picked up his meaning. She slid down his chest onto his wrist and put her hand against the locking mechanism. With a groan, the blue ring around the cuffs turned off, and they fell away from his wrists. He waited for her to step off of him before he stood and stretched, arching his back and stretching his arms overhead. He relaxed and gave himself a quick shake, looking pleased.

"aaah, much better. thank you."

He began walking about the room, curiously exploring it in possible hopes of some sort of weakness in the metal or any other form of escape. He tapped the wall curiously, considering blasting through it and escaping into the air and out of the constrictive tower.

"Starscream,"

He turned and lowered his head to look down at her. Her face was solemn and almost disappointed. For a moment, he forgot his own concerns and he kneeled before her, looking her over with crimson optics. Her upgrade had changed her considerably; in human terms she must've been at least fourteen or fifteen stellar cycles of age.

"What is it?"

She stepped forward and placed a hand on his faceted knee-guard.

"While you're here, just behave, okay?"

Behave? Ha! Asking someone like Starscream to behave for the sake of his enemies was like asking Bumblebee to stay under the speed limit during a street race, or asking Blitzwing not to switch personalities for a full five minutes. All-in-all, it was asking for trouble, her request, and his pride rejected it.

"You want me to behave just because _they_ expect me to? Ha! You're too much,"

She gazed sadly at him, and his demeanor dropped. A ripple of guilt wriggled its way through his belly, making him look away for a moment before his concern brought him back.

"Its not that, its just…well, since you have the chance to be an Autobot, you need to show them you mean it. If you behave down here, they'll let you out, maybe."

_Yes, of course, Sari, and when I'm done with that, Megatron will end the war with a treaty, shake hands with Ultra Magnus, and then retire to become a humanitarian. _

"I suppose…" he looked away for a moment, contemplating her words and the pleading sincerity that went with them.

_Hmmm, she does speak sense though. If I were to extend a certain level of courtesy to the Autobots, perhaps I could gain their trust long enough to carry out my mission._

"I know. I will try to respect these rolling slag-heaps." he said respectively, bowing his head.

Sari playfully slapped his knee-guard, amused by his last statement. He snorted and suddenly crouched before her, thrusting his large grey and black head into her startled face.

"But I will _not_ be nice."

She patted his nose understandingly, meeting his intense gaze.

"That's okay, just don't hurt them too much."

He grinned with amusement and she smiled back, placing a cool hand on his cheek.

"Sari!"

They both snapped around, alarmed, only to see Optimus's silhouetted form standing in the doorframe, glaring with much distaste at Starscream, while occasionally his optics flicked to the deactivated stasis cuffs and mouth clamp lying on the ground some distance away.

Starscream raised himself away from the ground and from Sari, and she quickly stepped away. Optimus took a sharp breath as if to contain the angry words threatening to spill from his lips, and briskly stepped forward, roughly scooping Sari up in one hand.

"What are you doing down here with _him_?" his words were halting and bitter.

"Nothing, I thought he'd be lonely so I came down here to say "hi"."

His lip lifted slightly to bare his teeth with frustration and anger that she would even _consider_ coming down to speak with him. He lifted his gaze away from Sari to glare long and hard at Starscream who sat in the corner, not meeting his hateful leer. He sat looking like a drab beggar; his ebony helm hung between his shoulders, knees bent, his arms held out at odd angles in front of him as if to plead to unseen sympathizer. Optimus had no mercy or pity towards the flier as he demanded,

"Why don't you have your stasis cuffs on?"

Starscream lifted his face to meet the burning blue of his optics, staring at him with a cooled demeanor that betrayed the equal hate raving inside his processor.

"I did it," Sari intervened before their very optics killed each other with icy blue and burning red.

Optimus cocked an optic-ridge to look skeptically at her.

"I thought he would feel better if I let him out. He's not really going anywhere if he's all the way down here, big guy."

He tipped his head upwards to look at Starscream who had not shifted his position on the floor since he had looked up.

"Just don't come down here unless me or anyone else is with you."

His azure optics regarded the grounded Flier, looking him up and down with disapproval and irritation, as if challengingly him to argue with his order. He regarded the Autobot with a similar look.

"Sari, I think we need to have a little talk." he said. Optimus sneered one last time over his shoulder as the doors shut behind him.

"But if you could only give him a chance, Prime-!"

"No."

Sari huffed with impatience, twisting in the seat to glare out the window as the city blurred past them with indistinct details. He had insisted on bringing her alone, and so he had, but her mood had not improved since the beginning of the car ride.

"Sari…" he began gently in a soft tone. She lowered her head, barely acknowledging him.

"He _killed_ me, Sari. Had you not have had your key, I'd be off-line right now. You have to understand that I don't trust him."

Sari raised her head more, her eyes glistening as she remembered such a fateful, terrible day. She laid a hand gently on his dashboard.

"I know why you don't want to trust him, but everyone deserves a second chance, big guy."

He responded with a low shudder, his truck-mode shivering with apprehension as he absently pulled into the empty parking lot of a Burger-bot restaurant.

"You should refuel, Sari. Then we'll head back, sound good?" He attempted, and failed, to sound cheerful.

"All right."

She climbed out of his vehicle-mode, stepping back to give him room as he transformed. She sat down at a table with an umbrella popped open above it, casting welcome shade from the hot day. He sat down beside her, watching her with a guarded expression. Neither of them seemed very willing or eager to talk after what he had said. The silence continued even after the waiter-bot brought her the food she ordered. She vaguely tore her hamburger bun to fluffy scraps as she considered what he had said. He had a vital point, and she almost felt like she _had_ to hate Starscream just as much as everyone else did, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She concluded that it must've been the fact that she was so young and that she was a girl, as Bumblebee always reminded her. "Younglings" like herself always gave forgiveness so quickly because of their lack of knowledge on the true situation.

Optimus examined an intricately shaped crack in the pavement, not sure how to convince her otherwise as to why he felt such hate towards the Seeker. Sari finally pushed away her barely eaten meal and stood up with a sigh.

"Let's just go home, I'm tired."

He nodded with understanding and began stepping back so as to transform.

A blistering torch of flame soared down from the sky, incinerating the area before them and leaving a large black stain on the ground. Sari peeked out from behind Optimus who had wrapped his arms around her to protect her from the worst of the flames. She knew who it was without even getting a glimpse. Like he had done with her, she could sense his presence in her senses; the sound of edged wings slicing through the air, a thrumming spark-pulse that she remembered from warm nights of sleeping on his chassis, and the familiar, mixed smells of mint leaves, gun powder, oil, and sugar.

Blitzwing curved and looped in the air, congratulating himself on his near-perfect shot. How foolish could one Autobot be? Sitting in the open like that, and even more stupid for him to bring along his pet human, which he could see hiding behind his shoulder as he lay on the ground.

"Stay here!" Optimus loudly ordered Sari, drawing his axe and charging forward as Blitzwing swept down from the air to meet him. The Triple-changer tried to spin away from the attack, but failed as Hothead assaulted his mind with a distracting thought. The blunt edge of the Prime's weapon thudded onto his helm, bringing him to the ground onto the very spot he had flamed.

While he still lay on the ground, Optimus shot out his grappling hook, which shot past Blitzwing as he ducked, the rope instead coiling around his foot. Random laughed at his failed catch and leaped to his feet, attempting to charge. Optimus turned away from him and transformed, then began speeding around the corner and taking Blitzwing with him, dragging him around the diameter of the restaurant. HotHead cursed and drove his fingers into the ground, but for nothing.

Once he was on the opposite side of the building, Optimus released the rope, leaving a very flustered triple-changer on the ground behind him. He drove back around to the front to find Sari waiting for him. He transformed and quickly scooped her up with one hand. He kneeled beside a dumpster and tipped her into it. Not very practical, but it would have to do.

"Stay in here, Sari. No matter what."

He carefully closed the lid to turn back around and meet the angry Triple-changer head-on. They collided loudly, the sound of their collision sounding like a dozen gunshots ringing out simultaneously. Optimus's head must've only gone up to about Blitzwing's chest, but that did not stop him from unleashing his pent up rage over Starscream onto Blitzwing's body. They exchanged heavy blows and terse insults in Cybertronian and English alike until they had completely reverted to their own language. While they battled, they did not notice that their duel was sending them out into the streets, away from the restaurant.

They unintentionally rolled over cars and smashed lampposts, glass littering the roads with sparkling fragments all around them as they clung to each other in a bone-crushing embraces, each one trying to gain dominance over the other as they went.

Sari leaped out of the dumpster, determined to end the fight before either of them hurt the other too seriously. She did not even make it half-way across the parking lot. A magenta blast exploded in front of her, sending her crashing into a table. She grunted and winced with pain as she pulled herself away from the ruined chairs. She glared upward as Starscream's clone-body, with a headmaster unit attached to it, descended from the sky and landed heavily in front of her. The clone raised it's null rays, bringing them to full power.

"Oh no you don't, You're not exactly the one I'm after, but the munchkin's lamo' older sis is cool with me!"

_He doesn't know who I am. _she thought to herself. Regardless, Sari was eager to unleash her new gifts on the jerk who had kicked her out of her room and had caused her and her friends so much grief. With a flick of willpower, the protective yellow and orange armored suit embraced her body, her hair vanishing with a flash of blue light as her helm and visor appeared on her face.

"Oookay, didn't see that coming." Masterson said, making the body step back anxiously.

Twin blue colored blades sprouted from her forearms, which she held up challengingly.

"And you won't see this coming either!"

The clone lunged forward, claws outstretched, moving with the same alarming speed that was gifted to Seekers, regardless of the head on their shoulders. Masterson was confident this time; this body was naturally stronger and faster than the previous Autobot bodies he had stolen. He was sure that she would meet her end beneath the talons of the body he controlled.

Sari pivoted on the spot and jumped out of the way. The motion was so unexpected, that he stumbled forth, pulling on different controls to prevent the body from falling. He staggered into the wall of the restaurant, leaving deep furrows in the roof as he clutched it to stay balanced.

"Okay, that was freaky." he said.

Sari also glanced down at her body. Something was wrong, she had never moved with so much speed before. But for some reason, his reflexes seemed slow, like equivalent of a regular human's. While she had been distracted, he pushed himself up and aimed a gun at her, the tip glowing pink as it was brought to full power. He fired. To Sari, the blast seemed to come at a measured pace, or at least slow enough that she could look at it before being forced to turn away because of the brightness of it. She gasped and threw up one arm as if to defend herself. With a blast of heat that made her armor creak, her blade deflected the null ray blast. There was a price to pay, however; it was still much more powerful and it had succeeded in throwing her back several feet and ruining her left blade. Sari looked with dismay at the ruined metal; it wept blue droplets of metal as wisps of steam roiled off of the deformed shape of it.

There was a slow flash of white light, and the blade revealed itself, whole and sound again. She stared at it with open awe. How had it known what she wanted? There was no time to think about it as she noticed Masterson bearing down on her. She evaded the sharp thruster as he kicked at her, easily evading his feet as she skated around him with glowing blue pads on her feet. Suddenly eager to test her new abilities, she turned around, summoned a great amount of inner energy as it ran, stream-like, through her mind, and leaped upward. Sari laughed with exuberant joy as she soared what felt like dozens of feet in the air, landing on his shoulder and jumping back off, landing light and cat-like on the ground as she whirled back around to attack.

_It didn't just give me the armor and better senses, the All-Spark gave me super powers! _

She laughed fiercely as she began her assault anew on him. No more would she be helpless against enemies such as Megatron, Decepticons, or other beings of Cybertron, no longer would she suffer the contempt of human villains such as Masterson or Nanosec or Meltdown, she would never again have to rely on Optimus, or Bumblebee, or Blitzwing to save her from enemies both human and machine alike.

Fired and exhilarated by the knowledge, she increased her speed, darting here and there with the sharp grace of a cat. With her senses, she could hear the tired panting, and the panicked, hammering heartbeat of Masterson as he tried to attack. Summoning a ball of blue energy, she shot the body through his waist, the orb exploding in a burst of blue sparks and shattering the cockpit, making the clone stagger back. She laughed again, mocking him this time before she fired.

"Ha! You couldn't beat a toaster if it was in front of your foot, Masterson!" she taunted. She pulled back her arms, another ball of energy forming between her palms.

"And you call me a "noob", if I was--!!!"

His foot connected with her body, driving the air from her lungs, and leaving a bruise the size of a basketball on her stomach as she was thrown violently against the wall. Her body made a sickening _thud_ noise as she hit the wall, and then slumped to her side against it. There was a dull gleam of white, and her helmet and visor vanished from her face, leaving it vulnerable as she gasped on the hot concrete. Tears of frustration and panic spilled over her cheeks as she scolded herself for being so cocky, foolishly thinking that her gift could protect her.

She attempted to push herself upright in a miniscule effort to stand, refusing to die laying down as he strode towards her with smug arrogance. The headmaster unit's yellow optics stared down at her and she heard him say,

"Try that again, I dare you."

She glowered up at him and held up her palm, another orb weakly gathering itself with pitiful white and blue sparks. She breathed out as she did, and collapsed again, her bruised ribs making her cry out with pain. She looked up with narrowed eyes as he raised one large, frighteningly familiar foot over her. It was vaguely like one of the nightmares that plagued her sleep after getting in some sort of disagreement with Starscream.

"Say goodnight, lamer!"

His foot descended. As it did, an inexplicable power burst from the deepest caverns of her consciousness as she screamed out one word that she knew would save her life:

"BLITZWING!!"

What she did not realize, was the surge of powerful energy had not only been verbal but… _mental_ as well. She had shouted his name in both ways, and it was so strong, Masterson's foot hesitated as he let go of the controls to clutch the side of his head. Several miles away, Starscream felt it as well, the mental shout ringing forth with such passion and fear, that he leaped to his feet, null rays raised as if to fight. Knowing he was needed elsewhere, he began ramming himself viciously against the doors that blocked his prison, desperate to escape and help her.

Scolding himself briefly for his ignorance, he raised both null rays and open fired. The doors were flung open, banging against the walls and hissing from the heat that had scorched them. Starscream was not truly meant for running, but he put as much force and power as he could behind his feet as he raced up along the hall, letting both memories and senses guide him until he stood in the main room of Sari's home-tower. He forced his body through the too-small doors, his wings carving thick gouges out of the mortar and brick. Once free, he transformed and rocketed away to where he was needed.

Blitzwing was holding the battered Prime by the collar, fist raised when the mental shout entered his mind. Both bots gasped and recoiled at the strength and urgency of it, but instinct drove them forward. In his haste and panic, Blitzwing fired up his thrusters, flying low and fast along the ground as he flew back to where he came. Optimus messily transformed, his pistons creaking in protest as he followed after the flustered flier.

"Now that was just creepy, but I'm done playing games!" Masterson declared, gripping the controls and bearing his foot down on her again. Sari turned away, wrapping her arm around her head in a pitiful attempt to protect herself as she closed her eyes. Just as she was convinced she would be crushed where she lay, a scream of rage filled the air, making both of them look up.

Starscream soared down from on high like an infuriated armored hawk, his talons and teeth flashing brightly as he roared his challenge. Masterson did not even get to so much as gasp as the enraged Seeker slammed into him, throwing him into the burger-bot restaurant and completely destroying it. Starscream withheld nothing as he clawed, bit, punched and tore at Masterson's stolen body. He remembered this body; not just because it looked so much like his, but he had used it to plant a bomb inside to kill Megatron. Ahh, such happy solar-cycles those had been.

"Yo, angry dude, chill! …please?" Masterson pitifully begged as his mangled body stepped back, holding his hands up in surrender. Starscream did not know of mercy; he leaped, driving the knife-sharp tip of his null ray into the clone's body while sinking his claws into the clone's neck, feeling his talons sever a thick bundle of nerves that, if this had been an actual on-line 'bot, they would've died without question.

He yanked both hands out of the body at the same time, taking thick chunks of armor with him. Still, the clone did not fall. Starscream upraised one long-talon hand to rip off the artificial head containing the now-terrified human inside and thus end the battle. Refusing to go down without putting some damage in himself, Masterson thrust the controls forth and, with an underhanded blow, kicked Starscream in the fork of his legs. The Seeker emitted a strange squeal of pain and a colorful curse of Cybertronian as he clutched his abdomen, staggering back and stumbling among the wreckage of the restaurant.

"That's gotta hurt, doesn't it, noob?" Masterson taunted, raising his null rays to bear down on the distracted flier. Sari coughed out something, feeling cold fear creep up her arms. That is, until the wonderfully familiar smell of mint tickled her nose. Clutching her abused chest, she craned her head back in time to see a flash of purple and an intense heat as a twenty-foot long jet of flame roared down from the air, finally finishing off the job that Starscream had started. The headmaster unit clunked and thudded away, laying still on the hot parking lot.

Blitzwing alighted on the ground among the ruins, swinging his head from side as he looked for the source of the mental scream that had summoned him. His wings were raised and his cannons lowered as if to fight. Not noticing Sari right away, he strode to Starscream who had his hands tightly clenched on his hips, taking deep breaths. In a few terse words, he explained to the Triple-changer what had happened. Blitzwing stepped away, crossing his own arms in front of his pelvic armor as if to ward off a blow himself, inwardly cringing.

"Vhat vould jou call zhat?" he asked, rubbing his temples to sooth the processor-ache brought on by the assault on his thoughts.

"Eet said my name."

Starscream straightened up more, mentally going over what had happened. The voice had been Sari's. But how could that be? How could she mentally communicate with someone from short distances?

He suddenly remembered that she must've still been there, badly hurt. Being careful of where he put his feet, he began rooting among the wreckage, ignoring Blitzwing's troublesome questions. A low moan and thrum of residual energy reached him, making him shiver from the contact. He quickly but carefully swept away a pile of wood and brick-dust to reveal the still form of Sari. She was no longer encased in her armor; it had vanished from her body the moment she collapsed. Now she lay in a fetal position, both arms crossed over her belly. Alarmed, he gently unhooked her arms and inspected the spot, and lifted up her second-skin-cloth-cover, or "clothes" as the humans called them.

"Leave the human, Starscream, and let us be off before ze Autobots arrive."

"**Do you hear me?! Leave the meat-bag and let's get out of here!!**"

Starscream growled back and ignored him, then proceeded to look down at her wound.

A hideous blue-black bruise blotched her belly, splashes of red dotting it where internal bleeding had occurred. He sensed Blitzwing hovering over his shoulder watching him, but he paid no heed to Icy. He gently, trying not to jar or shift her body into an uncomfortable position as he laid her on her side on his palm. She clenched her teeth, her brow furrowed, then she opened her eyes, a field of black and grey filling her vision as she looked up the length of Starscream's arm.

She attempted to stand but gasped and fell back down, clutching her belly. Above her, Starscream hissed, whether in sympathy or anger towards Masterson, she didn't know.

"Be still, Sari, if you aggravate your wound-"

"Vhat vas zhat?"

Sari drearily opened her eyes to look up past Starscream's shoulder to see Blitzwing standing behind him, glaring at the second-in-command with alarm.

"Jou said Sari, correct?"

"Mhm."

Blitzwing finally turned his crimson optics onto her, inspecting and scanning her, not wanting to believe the implications of Starscream's claim. But…no, it was impossible, Sari Sumdac, _his_ Sari, was a small child, just a few years older than a Sparkling. But this human-femme could not be her. Had Starscream finally cracked? Even Random was surprised.

This human appeared much more physically matured, with the angled and rounded features of a young adult. But a closer look told him otherwise; her skin-coverings were the same orange and yellow colors he had come to know and love so much, her hair the same shade of rich red, her tanned skin, the familiar rhythmic heartbeat he knew so well from lunar-cycles of having her curl up on his chassis to recharge with him. Yes…it was……

"…Sari?"

She smiled feebly up at him, laying her head down.

"Hey, three-face. Thanks for coming."

"Zhat's…zhat's impossible…"

"Ha! I was off the same opinion when I found out." Starscream scoffed.

Blitzwing straightened, rubbing his chin as he looked her over. He did not know it was possible for the AllSpark to affect an organic being, but in Legends past, it was told that the AllSpark was capable of unimaginable feats.

He snapped out of his thoughts when Sari moaned again.

"Jou are injured, I forgot. Starscream, ve should-"

"No, let me."

"You're not in any position to decide whether you're okay or not."

"No, watch."

Sari pressed her elbow against his hand, raising herself and peeling back her dress to reveal the agonizing bruise on her belly. Blitzwing's Spark caught with pity and anger at the sight of it. They both keenly watched as she pressed her palms against her stomach and, with a low tone of voice, she murmured,

"Heal."

A soft blue light emanated from her fingertips, sowing back broken skin back together and healing the beaten, underlying muscles. After a moment, she dropped her hands, revealing the bruise had vanished, leaving flawless tanned skin in place. There was no evidence that the abrasion had ever been present. Starscream made no move to stop her, nor did Blitzwing, absorbed they were in the display of AllSpark qualities she had exhibited by healing herself.

She carefully picked her way among the ruins after she had dismounted his hand, making her way to Blitzwing who still stood behind Starscream. He finally took notice of her, and stepped back with a small involuntary growl. To have a youngling he loved so much suddenly transformed like this so quickly and drastically was disconcerting and he rejected it, feeling cautious around this new Sari.

"Blitzwing, c'mon," she coaxed.

He stepped to the side and she stepped in a similar way, both of them acting like two animals of the same kind meeting for the first time. She smiled encouragingly up at him and he blinked warily, turning his head slightly to examine her with one large red optic. She patiently let him pace around her, letting him inspect her from all angles. Starscream watched from the side, his optics flicking from Con to human.

Finally, after several minutes of inspection, he kneeled before her, lowering his helmed head to look at her closely. In a quiet tone, he asked,

"Iz eet truly jou, Sari?"

She reached over and placed a hand on his cheek; there was no mistaking her touch.

"Yeah, its me, Blitz."

It was then that the full realization that this _was_ Sari, not some other human who looked like her. With one swift motion, he pulled his head back, and promptly switched to Random, who looked down at her with true curiosity instead of glee. In a perplexed voice, he asked,

"Zari?"

Stretching out the name slightly as if hearing it or meeting her for the first time. She grinned up at him, giving him permission to continue with his question. Then, with great surprise, Random Blitzwing promptly asked,

"Vhen did jou get boobs?"

Three things happened at once; Sari gasped, Starscream's lower jaw fell, nearly concealing his long chin, and Blitzwing fell onto his back, cackling madly at his question. After a moment's hesitation, Sari began to laugh too, surprised and greatly amused by his knowledge of the slang term. Even Starscream had his lips tightly shut, though still grinning as he restrained laughter.

Wiping the fluids from his solid-red optics, Blitzwing sat up, still giggling. He switched around to Icy, who was also grinning as he asked,

"Ehem, well, yez, but do you resent ze fact zhat ze AllSpark altered your body without your permission?"

"What? No, of course not! Did you see how I kicked Masterson's butt all alone? I couldn't be happier about this."

She clasped her hands behind her back, grinning with pride.

"Good, eet iz wise to except such a priceless gift. Use eet well, I say."

She blinked coyly at him, grinning mischievously. She held up two fingers in the air, crossing them.

"Oh, don't worry, I promise."

He blinked back at her. He didn't know many human gestures, but he could tell she was lying.

"Sari…"

"I know, I know, I really do promise. I'll just misuse it for some other time."

He nodded and turned to Starscream who had tapped his shoulder.

"Why are you here?"

"Lord Megatron sent me, he vonted me to see how jou vere faring."

"humph! The old fool, does he-"

"Hey, Blitzwing,"

He did not yet turn away as he responded, "Yez, Sari?"

"When I said, misuse, I meant now!"

Leaping up and forward eighteen feet, she rammed into his chest, having enough power to knock him onto his back. He seemed flustered for a minute before a chilled laugh escaped his lips.

"I see za AllSpark gave you gifts of strength too?"

"You bet! Maybe HotHead has some competition now?"

Said persona switched around to stare at her. They regarded each other, studying each other thoroughly. Sari had never seen HotHead without a harsh comment before. He too grew bored of his own lack of words and, like a bored cat playing with a mouse, he pinned her down with two fingers pressing into her chest. He grinned at her.

"**Not at all, human.**"

She gripped the two digits that held her and smirked up at him.

"Then I'll show you, _Decepticon_!"

A surge of aqua sparks stung his hand, making him yank his servo back with a growl. Once free, she leaped to her feet with inhuman swiftness, aiming her mechanized palm at him. She murmured a few indistinct words, her tone low and smooth. A very flustered HotHead gasped and clutched his chest, feeling as though something was crushing it from the inside. As a result, another murmured word from Sari forced him onto his back as if Lugnut had struck him.

He lunged forth again, swiping at her with one large black servo. She swiftly evaded the blow, darting past his arm to leap onto his knee, proclaiming,

"Gotta be faster than that!"

Using his curved knee-cap as a launching post, she leaped forth, mimicking one of the moves Prowl had taught her. Now that she had this new and improved upgraded body, she could actually carry out moves such as these and have them work to an effect. She rammed into his chest just below his neck, upsetting his already precarious balance and sending him onto his back.

A small laugh escaped her as she thought of the irony that went with the situation. When Prowl and the others had taught her, they said she needed to know these moves due to the fact that she was a primary target of the Decepticons. But still, that had not stopped Blitzwing from kidnapping her on that day, and their friendship growing with every passing day that she had been a prisoner. She also vaguely remembered standing in front of the windows that led outside to practice her moves and view them in her reflection:

"_You want some of this, Decepti-creep? Take that! And that! Hee-yah!"_

She giggled again, since, technically, she had just fought a Decepticon using the same techniques. She stood on the higher part of his cockpit, grinning deviously as he lowered his head to stare at her with open bewilderment. She casually crossed one arm over his chin guard, leaning on it casually. She pointed and winked at him.

"I'll deal with _you_ later, punk."

His lips parted slightly with surprise; surprised at being overwhelmed so swiftly by a human. Beside him, Starscream let out a sharp laugh.

"Don't feel bad, Blitz," she said. "I would lose a fight too if I punched like you do."

"Bah! How _I_ fight doesn't determine-"

He abruptly stopped mid-sentence as his head snapped to the side, Starscream doing the same as they stared down the road. A moment later, with her own heightened senses, she heard the rolling of tires and Spark-pulse as Optimus hurried to the ruined parking lot.

Starscream returned his now-angry gaze to Blitzwing who still lay on the ground with Sari.

"Get out of here!" Starscream harshly demanded, pointing to the sky.

Blitzwing and Sari exchanged regretful looks, not wanting to part so soon after meeting.

"Now!" Starscream snapped.

Sari pressed her head against Blitzwing's nose, placing a hand on his cheek as he coiled his hand around her in a short embrace. Starscream snarled with impatience and Sari and Blitzwing reluctantly withdrew, stepping away from each other as he transformed and soared away between the human's buildings just as Optimus barreled around the corner, drawing his axe and raising it as if to throw it.

"What, _happened?_" he growled between gritted teeth, staring at Starscream.

"Don't pin this on _me_, Autobot!"

"How do I know you're not lying like you always do!"

"Insolent ground-bot! If I-"

"It was Masterson!" Sari interjected before another fight could break out. Optimus took a deep breath to steady himself.

"Sari, if it was Masterson-"

"You mean _this_ organic?"

They both looked up to see Starscream holding a very defeated-looking Masterson by his collar.

"That was totally late," he growled.

They turned their heads when a pack of patrol cars squealed into the parking lot, Fanzone's car leading them. Immediately, all of the officers leaped out of their cars, aiming their weapons at Starscream.

"You _dare_ threaten me?!" he snarled.

Fanzone looked the Seeker up and down, summing up how dangerous he was before addressing Optimus.

"Maybe you want to explain to me why you got'a Decepticon hanging around with you?"

Optimus threw a glance at the Seeker as if wondering himself. He had roughly dropped Masterson at the feet of two officers and they placed him in handcuffs, leading him to one of the cars while the remaining policemen aimed their guns warily at him. Starscream had been angry at first and he still was, but not so much anymore since the meager weaponry couldn't even prick his hide. From where she stood, Sari could smell the thin film of cold sweat accumulating on their necks, their heartbeats racing like frightened rabbits, and their eyes wide with fear behind their dark visors. Starscream seemed pleased by their terror.

"He's not with us, he's our prisoner." Optimus continued.

"Doesn't look very "imprisoned" to me."

"Sorry, Captain Fanzone. We'll leave now."

He transformed a safe distance away on the road, careful to avoid the accumulated rubble. Sari glanced up at Starscream and murmured,

"Thanks for saving me."

In an even quieter voice, he responded,

"Of course."

She stepped over the tattered wire skeleton of an umbrella to make her way towards Optimus who waited with his door open, engine running. Starscream folded his arms and did not move from his place, deigned to wait until the Autobot had gone a considerable distance. Once they had left his visual range, he promptly strode forth, passing by the anxious law-enforcement-humans who still had their small guns aimed at him. Grinning, he slowed his pace, his right side turned towards them. His grin expanded as he felt their heartbeats dramatically increase with the fear of them not knowing what he was going to do next.

Starscream let out a ferocious animalistic snarl, slamming his feet just a few feet from where they were. At least eight of the men turned and fled up the street, only slowing when they saw that they were in no danger, eleven of them promptly fainted where they stood, slumping against their vehicles, and several others shot at him, though Starscream felt nothing as the bullets skated off of his thick armor. Starscream continued on his way, laughing and frightening the coward-humans even more as he snickered. It was only right, after all, that lesser beings should be afraid of him, and this greatly pleased him, giving him satisfaction before he transformed, soaring away after the Autobot and Sari.

_*******_


	9. Confused Feelings

**Transformers Animated belongs to Hasbro, I own nothing.**

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Rodimus gasped and clung to Blurr even tighter as they tumbled down through the rip in Time and Space that the Space Bridge had created before slamming into the hard stone beneath them. Still holding on to the small blue scout, they rolled several times before coming to a stop in a dazed, senseless pile. Rodimus lay still as small wisps of smoke drifted lazily out of fissures and gaps in his armor, mixing with the other fetid smells of Blurr's damaged frame. He lay staring at the grey stone with large optics, not believing what had happened and how quickly they had escaped death at the hands of a ferocious Seeker. If he went over the scene in his cerebral-processor, he could still feel the vibrations from Cyclonus's gunfire and the echo of his enraged cry at the escape of his enemies.

As delicately as his quaking body would allow, he unhooked his arms from Blurr's body, the dried energon splitting with small cracks as he pulled away. Rodimus rolled onto his belly, feeling pleasant warmth rolling in soft waves on his back and flightless wings. He did not, however, let the clean air, sunshine and lack of explosions lull him into a sense of peace. If it was one thing that long centuries of war had taught him, it was that you should never trust your surroundings, no matter how pleasant they seemed. He instinctively reached behind him and pulled out his bow, feebly setting it with an arrow and letting his optics examine his surroundings.

The buildings were intact, not a broken window or fire anywhere, the road he was on was smooth concrete, devoid of potholes or dried stains of fluids from defeated opponents, nor were there any grey chips or chunks of armor or circuitry from dead comrades. A canal, its fluid clear, sparkling and blue, shimmered like liquid blue crystal as it flowed by. A small organic creature fluttered down from the smoke-less air to land at the water's edge. After a short scan he realized it was called a "sparrow", a strange name for a small, feathered creature. He watched the organic peck and flutter its wings as it took a bath, occasionally stopping to drink before it fluffed its feathers and took wing. Everything seemed so…_peaceful_. A sentiment Rodimus was not accustomed to back on Cybertron.

_I could live here,_ thought Rodimus. He felt a twinge of regret for not coming sooner; he did not know that Earth could be, or seem at least, perfect. He also envied the Autobots and Decepticons alike for the opportunity to live in a war-free Planet like this. He slowly returned his bow and arrow to their places on his back, getting to his feet and testing his stance to make sure his legs wouldn't fail him if he took a step. He hurried to Blurr's side, looking at the places where most energon trickled from broken lines and fractures in his blue hide. This is where Blurr had sent him, this is where the Autobots were suppose to be. He carefully scooped his arms beneath Blurr's prone form, and pushed out his signals as far as they could reach, hoping to pick up on something. He sharply turned around when he did. A trio of tunnels, side by side, lay a few yards behind him. They slanted downwards towards the water's edge, no doubt some sort of drainage system.

He took of down one of the tunnels, only to come to a small opening gap which led through three more. He took the center one, running forward but being careful not to scrape his head as he went. The ground abruptly sloped upward and he pounded the stone as he ascended into a large courtyard. What looked like a large factory stood before him, surrounded by a wire fence that had been partially eaten away by rust and the elements. He could feel the residual energy drifting off of it.

Hurrying forth, he crossed the lot in several long strides towards the open doors into the building, hoping to find who he was looking for. Once inside, he hitched up Blurr closer to him to keep him from falling before crying out,

"Help!"

His voice reverberated around the walls to be unanswered.

"Please! I need help! Are they any Autobots here!" Again, his pleas were met with silence. He hurriedly examined the room. There was no mistaking that this is where his fellow teammates had at one point stayed, but now the only residents were several moths fluttering around a dusty window. He extended his communication signals again, trying to pick up anyone's signature.

Sari began to feel an annoying buzz in the back of her mind. She rubbed her temple several times, attempting to rid herself of the irksome droning that seemed to emanate from within, or some other unknown source. She focused her attention on the passing scenes of Detroit and, for a moment, it seemed to fade, but it was then that Optimus rode over a speed bump, jarring her concentration and allowing the humming to dramatically increase. Sari clenched her eyes shut; if this continued, it would drive her to madness. So instead, she focused on the buzzing until it completely occupied her mind, diving into the strange barrier from which the sound emanated, and was alarmed as someone's voice filled her mind.

_Autobot alert! Autobot Alert! Anybody out there? Bot down, I need assistance immediately!_

She gasped and pressed two fingers to her temple as feelings of anxiety and fear reached her like a small swarm of locusts. From the sounds of it, this was no human, but a mech, and he was in trouble. He opened her mouth to tell Optimus, only to hear him speak first.

"Rodimus! Is that you? How did-"

Optimus fell silent as the voice in Sari's head started up again.

_There's no time to explain, but you have to come to my location, now! I have Blurr, and he's hurt, you have to come!_

"I'll be right there." Optimus spoke aloud again.

The steering wheel swerved and Sari clung to her seatbelt as his vehicle mode turned abruptly and violently, much to the squealing protest of Optimus's tires. Sari managed a glimpse of Starscream in jet mode, following them, before Optimus began speeding back the way he had come.

_Now what is that Autobot doing? _Starscream thought.

Adjusting the angle of his wings, he swiveled around to align with the Autobot and began following him. Still curious as to where he was going, he asked him via comm-link,

_Why have you turned around, ground-pounder? I thought we were returning to my "prison"._

_Its none of your business, Starscream. Just come with me._

_As you command, o glorious ground-kisser._

Sari had gone a shade paler with alarm, twisting the seatbelt in her hands with anxiety. But she did not tell Optimus that she had heard each word, and, especially, had felt what they were both feeling as they spoke. She knew it must've had something to do with her upgrade. After all, her body had been accelerated at least six years worth of growth, along with highly-sensitive senses, strength, and other gifts besides. She decided she would meet with Ratchet and ask him about it; he, of all 'bots, would probably know what this new "talent" was.

Optimus's steering wheel turned left, and she looked up out the main window to see them pull into the lot of their old base, the factory that they had left so they could accommodate the other Autobots that had arrived. But it wasn't the location that caught her attention, it was who she saw kneeling at the entrance. He was a sizeable Autobot, with a neatly decorated symbol on his red and orange chest. A pair of miniscule yellow wings adorned his back, bearing a resemblance to Starscream's, but she doubted they were used for flight. Two prongs, the same shade of yellow decorated his forehead, almost like a crown that framed his dark grey face and bright blue optics. He would've been handsome had it not been for the emotional pain and fear emanating from those optics. What she saw next though, made heart skip a beat and make her eyes water.

The Elite Guard scout, Blurr, lay battered and bleeding in the orange and red mech's arms, being still and inanimate. His body was heavily damaged and looked as though it had gone through a smelter several times. Deep cuts and discolored dents were scattered along his light-blue frame, leaking thick amounts of energon. His optics were shut, his lips slightly parted in a pained grimace as he lay cold and unconscious in the other Autobot's grip.

The moment Optimus had slowed and had come closer to them, she flung herself out the open door, leaping to the ground and landing with grace on the concrete as she rushed up to the Elite Guard pair.

"What happened to him!" she demanded.

The warmly-colored mech just sat, staring at her. She became frustrated for a moment before she realized he must've had no idea what she was.

"Oh, I'm Sari. It's, uh, spelled S-A-R-I. In case you're wondering, I'm a human. Who are you?"

"I'm, Rodimus Prime, member of the Elite Guard and one of Ultra Magnus's heirs and top students."

She crossed her arms, lifting an eyebrow. "Hm, is that important?"

"Rodimus!"

They looked away from each other to see Optimus hurrying towards them with long, urgent strides. Optimus could only assume the worst as he approached, looking them up and down with concern.

Rodimus returned Optimus's greeting, though the happiness he would've felt upon meeting his comrade, best friend, and virtually his brother was overwhelmed by the circumstances of their arrival. Sari stepped to the side to allow Optimus the space he needed to be closer to his comrades.

"What happened? And how did you get here?" he asked. Rodimus snorted with grim amusement.

"I could ask you the same thing, Optimus. You look like you just went ten rounds with a smelter and lost horribly."

"Ha, I guess you could call it that. But what I need to know is what happened to Blurr? And how did you get here?"

Rodimus then began to elaborate to Optimus on what had occurred in the hours past; leaving Cybertron with Blurr and heading for Earth, making their escape from Strika and her own members, their vessel crashing, and the great evasion from Cyclonus before going through the Bridge.

Sari listened to his report for the first few minutes, wanting to get information on this "Team Chaar". It was unnerving to know that even more of Megatron's followers were still out there, if not already on their way towards her home. Once again, she was given the disconcerting feeling of a coming storm, a feeling of great change but with terrible consequences. She directed her eyes skyward to see a winking red speck high in the atmosphere. At such altitudes, Starscream appeared no bigger than a small eagle. She was grateful for him staying out of sight while the two Primes spoke with one another. Having an injured comrade and being tired himself were points of weakness a battle-ready Flier could use to his advantage, and the last thing they needed was for Starscream to show himself and have a fight commence.

The earth beneath her shuddered and she looked over her shoulder to see Rodimus setting Blurr on the ground between the two of them. He stretched his cramped arms, the thick cords and pistons popping and adjusting back into place as he regained movement. She had also noticed Optimus had placed the tip of his finger up to his temple. Sari opened her mouth to interrupt, wanting to intervene before it happened again, but he had begun to speak.

She locked up where she was, her muscles and body going rigid and stiff as if with cold as the flow of emotions and sentences filled her own thoughts.

_Ratchet, its Prime. We have an emergency._

_What's th' problem, Optimus? I'm busy at the moment and-_

She heard him stop mid-sentence, as if realizing something. She trained her thoughts on Ratchet's frequency, wondering why he had stopped. Through his link, she felt Optimus's confusion, very similar to hers. She perked up when he began speaking again.

_Hold on, Prime._

There was a moment's hesitation, then a thick, mental barrier shot up between her and them, blocking the flow of emotion. For a moment, she froze up, shocked by what had happened. But after a moment's hesitation, she began to fight the blockade. She shoved against the wall with her own consciousness, frustrated and perplexed as to how this had come into being, but no matter her efforts, she could not make the barricade move. She strained and persevered against it though, but the most she could pick up was Optimus and Ratchet's presence, nothing more.

She left them as they were and it was only after a full minute that she felt them leave and her body relaxed. Sari rubbed her arms as if to ward off a chill, staring at the oil-stained concrete on which she stood. It wasn't until Optimus's touched her on the shoulder with a blue fingertip that she realized where she was.

"Sari, your key."

She blinked, forcing her whirling thoughts and clenched muscles to relax as she proceed to Blurr who lay bleeding and still in front of her. Steel scraped against the concrete and she flinched at the harsh squeal in her sensitive ears as Rodimus shifted away from her.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Optimus?" he asked. "Sentinel said-"

"What Sentinel said was just out of his childish fear. Either we wait and Blurr gets worse or you let Sari take care of it."

Sari vaguely listened to their conversation, not quite paying attention to Rodimus's wary stare or Optimus's guarded expression. She gently placed both palms on his blue armored chest, where a thick chunk of him had been torn away. Purple and Black paneling glowed with sickly light past dried globules of energon. It was not going to be enough, she realized, to just close the surface. She had to re-grow two layers of paneling and a row of pistons.

She ignored Rodimus's gasps as her hand segregated into spaced ligaments, revealing the glowing blue pad in the center. She pressed both hands on either side of the widely spaced injury, and murmured several words in low tones. The gash glowed white-hot as delicate, wafer-thin metal reformed and grew, thickening and growing bluer in color with every passing second. As the surface continued to glow and shrink shut, the round cylinders of his pistons that gave him mobility in his chest grew and took on more defined shapes. With a small sound of clinking metal, the wound closed, revealing smooth, unmarred armor.

She preceded to walk around, inspect and heal all the various damages he had sustained, while Optimus informed his teammate of what happened over the weeks that his team had been there. Sari would occasionally fill in for some things and answer the questions the Elite Guardsman had for her. Fortunately, he let her alone and saved the bulk of his conversation for Optimus, leaving Sari to work. Besides the wound on his chest, the rest of Blurr's dents and gashes were relatively shallow or unserious and were easy to heal.

When she stepped back to admire her handiwork, he looked just as he had when she had first met him; his blue armor sparkled and shined like ocean-water during midday, his face relaxed as he rested.

"Is he going to be all right?" asked Rodimus, leaning over him. Sari smiled encouragingly and wiped the semi-wet fluid of energon off of her palms.

"He's good as new, he just needs to sleep."

Rodimus turned to her with sparkling blue optics, a look of great relief, as if relieved from a heavy burden, showing in them.

"Thank you."

"No problem,"

Optimus transformed, turning his back to them to offer his truck-bed.

"See if you can tie him down there and we'll take him back to base. Then maybe _you _should get some rest too, Rodimus."

The Prime laughed and gently lifted Blurr, laying him down carefully on Optimus's bed and securing his limbs with the blue rope of Optimus's grappling hook.

"After what you did to me back in boot-camp when I fell into recharge? Forget about it."

Optimus waited while Sari climbed inside of him and Rodimus had transformed into his own alt-mode.

"That wasn't me!" he exclaimed. "It was Sentinel's idea."

"Ha! Then why did you agree to film it and distribute it among the other students."

"That…was, also Sentinel's idea."

"You know I don't believe you, besides, remember back when…"

Sari tuned herself out of the conversation, feeling content to let them talk amongst each other and remind each other of fun times they had together before the War had intruded upon their lives.

* * *

***

* * *

_I see she's discovered th' perks of her upgrade._

Ratchet though to himself after he had cut the connection between him and Optimus. He had trained her namesake well, and now that the All-Spark had changed her, Sari had begun to realize the full extent of her gifts. Having mental-ties between Cybertronians was risky in itself; if an enemy knew how, they could overwhelm their frequency, tap into their cerebral processor, and eventually, gain control of their thoughts and movements. All mechs that were capable of communication such as this were trained thoroughly how to guard their minds and conversations.

"Ratchet, sir?"

Ratchet returned to attention when Arcee spoke his name with concern and curiosity. She looked at him with large and sparkling optics. He stared back at her for a moment, captivated by those endless swirling blue depths, until…

"Ratchet?"

He couldn't ignore her any longer. He blinked, and the longing feeling vanished. He gave her an encouraging grin, but he missed that feeling, the feeling of being closer to her and just…being _together_.

"Nothin' wrong. Let's get going." he said.

She watched with childish fascination as he shifted his boxy red and white body into the ambulance he had chosen. He waited without comment as she transformed beside him, a shining pink and white Mustang taking her place on the street. Ratchet was grateful that they were alone. Humans always had such an annoying admiration for them, and the last thing they needed was a milling crowd all wanting to see this new "alien robot". He would never hear the end of it if the humans found out she was a femme.

Pulling out of the dusty parking garage, they drove onto the faded grey road where they quickly became involved with the traffic.

"Just stay close to me, Arcee, and no one will give yeh' any trouble." he advised, coasting out of the way of a corvette as it darted past him.

With her hologram activated, Arcee glided beside him in the next lane.

"Oh, I don't mind it, Ratchet," she said calmly. "The human race is amazing, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Real terrific."

He grunted and pulled off of Main street, wanting to get away from the irksome crowds and tight spaces. Arcee, though with some reluctance, dutifully followed after the senior officer. They now were rolling slowly down the thinner road that ran through a small market. Carts sporting various merchandise stood on the sidewalk, adults looking at the sellable products while their children ran around playing games. There were small cafes and coffee shops with small tables where adults, and mostly couples, sat.

Ratchet vaguely observed one pair of humans as he drove, noticing how they were speaking to each other in low tones with smiles on their faces. Then, they leaned forward, and pressed their lips against one another's. Ratchet redirected his attention elsewhere, feeling grateful that his vehicle mode hid his heated faceplates.

His duration of being on the planet had given him insight to human customs. What he had just seen, for example, was how humans expressed love. On Cybertron, something as unheard of as love was rarely shown to the opposite gender. If it was shown, and an enemy spotted it, you could almost always guarantee the death of either loved one. Inevitable fates like these drove nearly all Cybertronians to be so protective of things or other bots once attached, explaining why Optimus, the others, including himself were so protective of Sari because of their fear of her being lost at the hands of the Decepticons.

_But that doesn't quite seem the case for Starscream and Blitzwing._

He mused to himself, his engine letting out a hearty purr similar to a gruff laugh. Just when he thought he knew them, the fliers do something as low as kidnapping Sari, and, much to everyone's surprise, including the Seeker's perplexity, became friends with her.

_I told her what she needed to know, maybe now…she understands why this partnership came to be, but as for him…he doesn't remember._

He sunk down on his tires slightly with sorrow. True, he was not quite as old as Ultra Magnus, or Alpha Trion, but he had been on-line long enough to witness the Golden Age of Cybertron, Megatron's cruel, grief-and-revenge driven extermination of the Seekers, and, especially, the Great War, in which many had died: Many Femmes, so there could be no more Sparklings that would grow into soldiers, uncounted numbers of slain mechs, killed in the cities, on the battlefield, in front of families. And nearly an entire Race, the Seekers, all of them dead. The only remains of a once proud, powerful, and magnificent race, were two Decepticons. Oh yes, how the Autobot scientists and other elders would preen to the Council and Cybertron itself that there could very well be more Fliers out there in the universe, the ones who had fled during Megatron's planet-wide slaughter, but Ratchet knew these chances were slim. The last true Seekers, as far as he, and all records knew, were the lone survivors.

Blitzwing and Starscream were……alone.

The only reason they had been spared? Because of who they were; who their Creators had been, and because the very mech who had brought down their Race had taken them in at some point, before recruiting them when they were grown. Ratchet wondered if they knew the truth, the _real_ truth, and that it was all lies that Megatron burned into their processors. Fortune would have to smile greatly upon him if he were to get a chance to speak with them. Primus forbid, they didn't off-line him before he could even speak.

_After all that I've done for that crazy, three-faced youngling, he still becomes a Decepticon. A Decepticon! All those stellar cycles of Sparkling-watches for dozens of pairs of Creators, and they turned out to be good, well-kept Autobots when they grew up. But no, not Blitzwing. If he ever does find out, even if I did keep an optic on him for that short amount of time, I swear by the All-Spark, I'll-!!_

"Oh, Ratchet, Isn't this beautiful?"

Arcee's wonder-filled statement brought Ratchet out of his self-rant on the upbringing of Sparklings. The backstreets they had taken had helped them avoid the heavier traffic, but it had lead them farther than Ratchet had wanted to go. They now stood on the boardwalk of Pier thirty-one, where the Professor would ship goods and supplies by boat to other destinations. The mid-day sun set the water on fire with strips and spots of blinding white light, like chips of diamond on a light-blue canvas. Seagulls dotted the sky as the glided on the updrafts, calling and chirping out to one another as they searched for scraps left by fishermen. Far off on the horizon, some miles distant, Dinobot island was a dark green stone among the waves.

Ratchet was not one for sight seeing or crooning over Earth's landscapes, he felt such things should be left to the humans and definitely Prowl, who had such keen interest in organic life. But this…this was different. The only reason he found it beautiful was because of the femme that was beside him. He transformed, feeling more comfortable in his robot-mode as he stepped forward to the edge of the walkway, which dropped some four or five yards to the murkier, port water below. A smaller series of clicks and moving pistons announced Arcee's transformation as she walked up to stand beside him.

She gazed out over the water with childish wonderment, her magenta lips parted in a small smile, the sparkling blue water matching her blue optics. The light made her armor shine with pristine luster, the pink and white metal sending chips of reflected light onto the ground around her. She curiously watched a seagull as it glided overhead, held aloft by the updrafts of misted air. Ratchet stared at her, noting every detail of her flawless being; her smooth, curved hips, her lean waistline, her delicate pink lips, how the light made her armor sparkle like a bed of diamonds. She lowered her optics away from the water bird to look at him, catching his stare. He blinked and quickly averted his gaze, but she could tell as much from his expression.

"Ratchet,"

He forced himself to look up into her optics.

"What happened that day? …The day I lost my memory."

This question caught Ratchet off-guard, but he knew she was bound to ask it at some point or another. With a creaking of his aged joints, he seated himself on the edge of the pier, staring down at the water. She, much swiftly, sat beside him, not taking her optics off of his.

"How much did RedAlert, Perceptor and WheelJack tell yeh'?" he asked.

She shrugged, looking at the tips of her pink stabilizing servos.

"They told me that wasn't a lot of hope for me getting my memory back, but they said that I was with you, when a Decepticon ambushed us. You'd been taking me back to the Elite Guard, because I had activation codes for some project. But otherwise I can barely remember."

He nodded. "Yeah, that seems about it."

She turned her entire frame around, holding him still in place with her intense blue lenses.

"Tell me the truth, Ratchet."

He stared sorrowfully at her. It was not a solar cycle he wanted to remember. He would've taken out that scum, Lockdown himself had not his old, aching body betrayed him from any strenuous movements.

"You were damaged. Your left leg had been hit…you were in shock, so I had to use th' EMP to put you in stasis. You argued with me, saying you couldn't because you had the activation codes for Omega Supreme."

She blinked and her lips parted with surprise.

"_I_ had the activation codes for project Omega?"

"Mhm."

"Then what happened?…after we were ambushed."

"There was Lockdown, the bounty hunter working for Megatron, he-"

Ratchet stopped mid-sentence as a flock of seagulls gliding over the water some hundred yards out began to cry out and scatter. The water seemed to swirl and sparkle more than usual before it settled down again. Ratchet turned back to Arcee.

"He caught us by surprise when I tried to escape with you. He took us back to his ship, and he would've gotten the codes had he not discharged the EMP. We made our escape, but-"

"But my memory cord had been wiped." she interjected.

He barely managed a nod. She watched him for a minute, but he stared, unblinking at the dark-green water below him. She looked at her own blurred reflection, also watching as a grey fish glided beneath the surface. Ratchet abruptly stood up with a growl, stomping back a few paces.

"If I had just sucked it up and gone above ground, we never would've run in to that Decepti-scum! Then Omega Supreme would've gotten the codes in time and he wouldn't be-"

"Ratchet."

He bitterly looked up, only to see her standing but a few feet before him, looking up into his troubled blue optics. She delicately placed a hand on his polished white shoulder, her slim white fingers matching the metal.

"I failed you Arcee, If I hadn't…"

"You did what you had to do," she said in a quiet voice. "You didn't fail anyone. We're both here, and the rest of our teams are safe…aren't you happy?"

Ratchet blinked, and, by some driven instinct, he placed his larger hand on top of hers. Her sweet scent tickled his nose.

"Not since that day."

She stepped closer to him, her chest barely scraping his.

In a small, quiet voice, she asked him,

"Did you love me?"

He lidded his optics half-way, not taking his gaze away from hers. He could not stand to lose her again, maybe…this was his chance.

"You wouldn't remember…" he said.

She stepped closer, putting both hands on his shoulders, He drew her closer to him, wrapping his arms around her delicate waist.

"Then remind me…" she whispered.

They were so close, they could feel each other's Sparkbeats against the other's chest, seeming to thump in unison. Her lips were so close to his, her scent was intoxicating. A whisper of breath tickled his cheek from her breath as their lips nearly touched…

"Are you guys going to kiss or what!"

At that point, Ratchet wanted to go crawl in a very dark, deep hole and go off-line. Very slowly, he turned around to look back at the edge of the boardwalk to see none other than the garbage-bot himself, Wreck-Gar.

Wreck-Gar looked the same as he ever did; a white face with black stripes, sparkling blue optics, a large smile. To add to his childish, comical appearance, a seagull seamed content to perch atop the crooked antenna that stuck from the corner of his boxy orange head. Arcee quickly removed her hands from Ratchet's shoulder, pulling away from him to greet the Garbage-Bot.

Wreck-Gar pulled the rest of his body out of the water, the bird fluttering his wings and taking flight. He strode forward with all confidence, grinning at her.

"Hello, my name is agent Arcee. And you are…?" she proffered.

He jabbed his thumb at his chest.

"I am Wreck-Gar, I am only good for one thing." he said.

"What's that?"

"Garbage!!"

She appeared surprised by this outburst, but then covered her mouth and giggled. He smiled back, looking pleased with himself before noticing Ratchet standing but a few feet away, glaring with such menace at the ground, he wondered why the concrete did not turn to dust from the intensity of it.

"Hey, Ratchet!" he cried, darting past Arcee with arms outstretched.

The medic managed a small grunt, still glaring at the ground and reminding himself that it was wrong to rip off the helms of fellow Autobots. The orange and grey bot unwrapped his arms from him as Arcee approached.

"Arcee, you've met…_Wreck-Gar_." he said through gritted teeth.

"Yes, I have." she grinned.

The jolly smile on his face suddenly vanished as he spotted a discarded plastic cup lying beside an overturned garbage can. He quickly trotted over, brushing the contents back into the receptacle and placing it upright. Looking pleased with himself, he walked circles around it before he noticed the rest of the harbor around him. Garbage and other abandoned products occasionally dotted the docks, even floating in the water as results of clogged storm drains and littering of the citizens. Jabbing a thumb at his chest, he declared,

"Never fear, good people of Detroit! Wreck-Gar will clean up this mess!"

Though no humans, at the moment, were around, he drew out a long vacuum, built in accordance to his large size, and began to suck up the rubbish and other junk that laid on the ground.

Shaking his head indecisively, Ratchet tapped into his comm. link with Optimus.

_Prime, it's Ratchet again. We got a situation down here at the docks._

_Frankly, I don't think I can handle any more "situations" right now, Ratchet. But I need you and Arcee to come back to Sumdac tower, now._

…_All right, Prime, don't get your gaskets in a bunch, we'll be right there._

Wreck-Gar would simply just have to fair on his own for now. There had been no denying the urgency in his voice, and Ratchet always knew when an emergency or problem that couldn't wait was at hand. He tapped Arcee's shoulder and motioned with his head at the road. She nodded and they transformed together, the slim Mustang and the ambulance taking their places as they left; Ratchet in the lead, Arcee following, and Wreck-Gar left behind with the self-appointed task of cleaning the harbor.

* * *

_If these Auto-scum keep bringing in more recruits, then Megatron's plan will fail at the cost of our Sparks! Bah! If I were to just kill him now, and save myself the trouble of a strategy, I could return to Cybertron, Megatron or no Megatron, and claim my rightful fiefdom, built on the lifeless shells of autobots and all those support them, only then will-_

Starscream stopped himself at his final sentence. All those who supported Autobots? Then…no, he would never lay a claw tip on her. Many months ago, he had nearly strangled her, stabbed her, crushed her, and had thought nothing of it, yet _Blitzwing_, the plasma-soft Spark that he possessed, just _had_ to stop him from doing such things and then taking the Key from her fleshy remains. Primus, it had made him sick how he had done it! They needed her alive for other reasons of course, he could understand that, but beyond those reasons…it was beyond his ken.

***

How was he going to tell him? He had already been through so much, he was worried about his reaction. He would just have to find some way to break it to him gently. Curving past buildings and along the shapes of the roads, Optimus soon spotted Sumdac Tower looming overhead, its metal exterior flashing brightly in the afternoon sunlight.

Because of its large size, it was several more minutes before they had come to a stop at the turn-around outside of the lobby. He waited until Rodimus had un-strapped Blurr from his trailer, and Sari had stepped out of his vehicle mode that he transformed, quickly lifting his optics up to the sky. Sari rapped her knuckles on his leg and took his gaze away from the air to look at her. She rolled her eyes upward, then pointed behind herself. Following her motion, he looked up to see the miniature jet-form of Starscream flying…closer. For a moment, Optimus was overwhelmed by a short burst of panic, the same panic he had felt when Starscream had first ambushed them their first day on Earth, during the Jet-show. Quickly regaining control of his once unresponsive limbs, he tapped his temple, sending a short message to Sentinel before turning to Rodimus.

"Rodimus!"

Still holding Blurr's recharging form in his arms, he looked up.

"We should, uh, head inside. Now." he said tersely.

The orange Prime stepped forward.

"Aren't we going to ask for clearance to enter this perimeter?" he asked, nodding his head at the tower.

Feeling even more anxious, he stiffly put a hand on his shoulder and began leading him around the building to where the elevator shaft used for transporting large goods made by the Professor, and also their way of getting to the top of the tower without interference.

"No, you see, we already-"

A harsh mixture of a whine and a roar split the air, followed by the mechanized clanking and sounds of metal sliding over metal as Starscream transformed and thudded onto the ground behind them, smirking at the new arrival.

His white pupils contracting to small dots on his blue optics, Rodimus, none too gently, lowered Blurr to the ground beside him, taking up a defensive pose in front of Optimus, drawing his bow and fitting an arrow into the energized cord, drawing the projectile back and aiming specifically at Starscream's chest, hate and slight fear crossing his face as he waited for the Seeker to attack.

Starscream tipped his head to the side, like an amused adult watching a child, before directing his gaze to Optimus.

"Is this your manner of protection, Autobot? Impressive." he jeered.

After a pointed glare and a self-reminder of not being allowed to hurt willing prisoners, Optimus clenched his hand on Rodimus's shoulder.

"Stand down, Rodimus. He's not here to fight."

"How would you know, Optimus?" he didn't take his optics of Starscream. "_Never_ trust a Decepticon, _this_ one least of all." For a moment, his optics flitted to his teamate's.

"But how does he know you? What's he here for?"

"He turned himself in. …He's our prisoner."

Optimus's first statement was alarming enough for Rodimus to take his optics away from Starscream and lower his bow a fraction.

"He turned _himself_ in? willingly?"

He nodded. After a moment's hesitation, anger crossed his face again, and he shook his head.

"You shouldn't do it, Optimus, he could be…up to something."

Optimus could guess as much himself, but before he could tell him, a surprised snarl caught his attention. Rodimus whipped around, his digits about to release the arrow when he saw Starscream laying on the ground on his belly, the smaller Sentinel Prime pinning him down while a pair of stasis-cuffs held his body helpless. Nearby, Jazz and Ironhide stood, ready to help if necessary. His body relaxing, Rodimus replaced his weapon back into their places on his back.

"Well I hope _Optimus_ didn't brag to you about the "great deeds" he's done, after all, I've been the one who's captured Starscream before." said Sentinel, yanking the Flier to his feet and motioning for Ironhide to come closer and help him with supporting the large 'Con while he was in his cuffs.

"Well you've always certainly been one to talk about bragging rights, eh Sentinel?" Optimus said, crossing his arms and cocking an optical ridge.

Seeming more comfortable that he was detained and outnumbered, Rodimus walked forward, saying,

"You two still don't get along? I always did like being the mediator."

Reaching out, he and Sentinel grasped each other's hands, shaking them a brotherly greeting.

"Well, its about time a bot with sense arrived. Spark knows we could use one." he directed his stare at Optimus who simply rolled his optics at Sentinel's immaturity and jealousy.

At this moment, Ratchet and Arcee drove up to the gathering of Autobots, transforming and stepping forward. Already on high alert, Rodimus turned away from Sentinel, a little too quickly, to face them. The stress left his face as his optics met Arcee's. Similar surprise changed her own faceplates as she beheld her past boot-campmate.

"Arcee?"

"Rodimus?"

He let out a snort of surprised laughter before hurrying towards her, a disbelieving smile on his dark grey faceplates. She smiled back and quickly left Ratchet's side to meet him half-way. As they met, it seemed as they would embrace, but they hesitated; instead composing themselves into something more formal. They quickly saluted before he gently grasped her delicate pink and white hand, shaking it.

"Its been so long, Rodimus."

"Yeah, so long, Arcee…so long."

Though he was almost sure of himself and the fact that her memory had been restored in only fragments, he felt as though it could not, would not, be the same between them. He did not doubt WheelJack or Perceptor, nor especially RedAlert, but only so much could be done for processor damage like that of Arcee's. He relinquished his grip on her servo, though with some reluctance as Ratchet approached.

"Hatch-, I mean, Ratchet! Good to see you."

The medic grunted and looked at Arcee who quickly looked away from him, not meeting his gaze. He noticed she had not said a word to him after what had happened at the piers, nor had she even looked into his visage.

_I'm normally never like this, she must be as confused as I am…I need to have better self-control, otherwise this team will have another Bumblebee around. _

He bitterly concluded to himself. He stepped around them to promptly march up to Sari, who also must've known why he had come to her.

"We need to talk about your "upgrade" again, kid."

She nodded and he transformed beside her, ignoring the looks he was receiving from the others as she climbed in. Feeling annoyed at Ratchet's quick and sudden, and quite rude departure, Optimus looked back at Sentinel who glared back at him with scrunched faceplates.

"Rodimus, you and Blurr should come with me, and we'll get you two settled in. Sentinel, I suppose you should hold up your end of the bargain."

Smirking, the arrogant Prime roughly grabbed Starscream's arm, sharply directing him back inside Sumdac Tower with Ironhide and Jazz following close behind. Rodimus watched them carefully as he gently picked up Blurr once again.

"And where are they going?"

"I told Sentinel that if he helped me, he, Perceptor and WheelJack could examine Starscream for more specs and modifications."

Optimus's voice was bland and simple, a tone Rodimus had not heard from him, it was almost frightening how calm he seemed against the fact that he was allowing the others to use Starscream as a lab rat for their own personal gain. Determined to get him off the topic, he shifted Blurr in his arms and said,

"Well, Should we be…getting settled?"

"Right, follow me."

* * *

***

* * *

"Do you know what that was about, Ratchet?"

"It was nothing. Nothing's wrong with yeh', kid, the AllSpark upgraded you, all that's happening is the completion of it."

"Completion? So…What happened earlier, what was that? I mean, I could feel what you were feeling, and I could hear everything you were saying. Spooky, huh?"

"I suppose, but you're an organic. That alone probably makes it like this, but i've never really been the biologist type. I don't know much about humans, but the fact that you're only half organic gives you this kind of intimate kind of link."

He pulled to a stop and when she saw he wasn't going anywhere, she stepped out, allowing him to transform and stand beside her. She inspected her surroundings briefly and was mildly surprised; they stood in the lot of their old base, the afternoon sun beginning to cast its hot rays onto the broken windows and cracked walls of the factory. She looked back up at him.

"Did anyone use to have this?"

"Well...according to a few history records of ours, Decepticons have attempted it, but not with any luck. You should be grateful they haven't, otherwise this war would've ended pretty badly."

Sari rubbed her temple, remembering the swirling colors of emotion and the buzzing in her mind before she finally gave in and listened. It sent a chill along her arms and neck at the thought of a "supposed" frequency of a Decepticon invading her link and controlling her. Apparently there were downsides to being a complex machine; knowing the right pass-codes could spell doom and control for another.

"So, its almost like my own comm link." a sly grin lifted her lips. "Cool."

He shrugged his plated shoulders.

"I suppose. But you have to be careful, you can't use comm links the way we use them because you're an organic. I can teach you a few pointers, but I suppose Prowl would be better at helping you out, kid."

She put her hands on her hips, feeling proud at the new addition of her talents.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll do that, but first, can I talk with anyone using this thing, not just Autobots? I mean, i'm human, can I talk to other people?" she motioned at her temple as she spoke.

"Don't even think about, its dangerous enough that you can't turn it off, you shouldn't be going off exploring people's processors like it's a funhouse. We don't know the full extent of this yet, so take it easy, and don't try anything."

She smiled wider and twisted her pointer and middle finger, saying,

"Oh don't worry, I promise."

He stared at her.

"Okay, okay, I'll be careful, really. Now can we go back? Iwant to see the look on Bumblebee's face when I predict all of his moves when we play Street Demons."

He rolled his optics skyward before kneeling beside her and transforming.

"Between you and the rest of those young 'bots, I feel like half my life has been spent being a nanny."

He growled and Sari laughed as they pulled out.

* * *

*******

**

* * *

**

"How much longer?"

"Three more solar cycles, Strika."

"Right, tell Cyclonus to burn any more energon on board."

OilSlick promptly stood from his seat at the hull of their ship smoothly walk across the room, his steps light on the dark floor. The door slid behind him leaving the hallway in darkness, though he easily strode forward, his enhanced visage and ninja training allowing him clearance. The bitter smell of burnt energon from the storage chamber could permeate even the thick glass of his helmet, nor could it block the sounds of dull metal against blade. He entered the designated code, allowing him access.

Cyclonus, being appointed energy supplier, kneeled on the grey iron floor, sharpening his katana with a molded chunk of black stone. Each pass of metal against rock produced a horrible squeal, but the horned warrior did not seem to mind the noise. He continued honing the edge with every scrape, the ebony rock sending off small white sparks as it sharpened his prized weapon.

OilSlick watched his behavior for a time, watching how the light from the energon being burned gave the Flier's armor an eerie, shadowed appearance. Several large portals where the cubes could be placed to be burned for fuel were already eating their way through the cubes that had been placed inside earlier. Like heaps of rose colored coins, energon sat piled around against the walls, yet to be organized.

"I have a message for you, Cyclonus."

Silence.

"Strika orders you to burn more energon, we need to make haste."

The only response was another harsh squeal of stone against sword. The warrior remained completely indifferent to everything else besides his craft. The Decepticon scientist stepped closer, feeling a prick of unusual annoyance in his chest. Looking off to the right, he walked past him and picked up a cube, staring at it and watching the light reflect off its surface.

"You must be angry with what happened earlier." he said.

The whetstone slid down the blade's surface.

"Anyone would be angry at such a defeat, especially against two Autobots."

Oilslick tossed the boxed energy down a chute, hissing as it met the burner where it was incinerated. For a moment, Cyclonus hesitated on his stropping, before he lowered the katana gently to the ground and setting the whetstone beside it. He stood to his full height, then proceeded to one of the stocks of cubes, lifting three in his large servos before tossing them down a burner. An audible hum came from the walls of the ship as its energy was renewed.

"I have always wondered as to why you almost never speak, Cyclonus. Anyone would be lucky to get a few words from you at all. War is your life and you barely even blink."

"hmm."

The noise was unexpected, almost catching the Decepticon scientist off-guard before he recomposed himself, knowing that he at least had his attention.

"It was never like this."

OilSlick blinked at his phrase, surprised that he had even spoken at all.

"Then tell me."

Cyclonus continued shoveling energon into the tankards.

"It doesn't matter if I kill. We will all die at some point, why not end life quickly and be done with it? Lord Megatron knows what he is doing…he will end this."

"Then you desire to follow a path of the forsworn?"

"Nothing matters. All my desires have left. Each path is but a never ending strip of shadow."

"Then you doom your own fate?"

"My doom was burned into my chest and Spark alike. Everything will be but darkness when our Master is Lord of Cybertron."

OilSlick narrowed his optics.

"That isn't what your Creators foresaw when they birthed you."

OilSlick was grateful for the many stellar cycles of metallikato training he had received, which allowed him to dart out of the way as one of Cyclonus's purple katanas buried itself in the wall where he had been standing moments before. Calmly righting himself, he looked back at the Flier whose teeth were bared in a silent snarl, his hissing breath escaping from between his serrated dentals.

"There is no need for you to be angry."

"My _Dam,_ was a filth-blood whore and my Sire was a coward whose Spark was made of pus. I am _twice_ the mech he ever was."

"It's a shame then. I always believed one of the last Seekers whose Creators had been murdered by Lord Megatron himself would be so angry, not loyal and emotionless.

He bitterly turned away from the scientist to continue violently shoving cubes into their ports.

"I have no emotions to give," he hissed. "It was emotion that caused this war and ended my people."

OilSlick turned away from the Seeker begging to leave, but before he did, he said,

"Then you truly do walk a path of the Damned. It is not our emotions that shape us, its what past wrongs have taught us. Megatron killed until your race was but blood and ash on a burned field, yet still you follow."

He raised a long claw, pointing accusingly at him.

"Dead and cold at Spark you may be, but their deaths and this war has made you ignorant. War is not the fear of getting killed, it is the fear of seeing your loved ones die. You and I both know you will never truly forget them, nor do you want to…but they would not want to see their only Sparkling be driven into mute darkness. Grieve as you wish, but even shadows choose where they will fall and what they will darken."

With these parting words, the door slid shut, and the room was silent. Cyclonus stared into the maroon flames of the burners, thinking of the truth Oilslick spoke. He had no emotion to give…

He gently picked up his newly sharpened katana, admiring its polish surface and remembering the day he had received it.

_I entrust these to you, Cyclonus._

_Thank you…but why give them to me?_

_Where I am going…I will not need nor want them. _

_The elder mech turned away from his youngling, taking a few steps until transforming and soaring away over Cybertron's horizon, heading to face the ultimate enemy he had not told his son about. He stared down at the gleaming purple blade, how it cast a beautiful glow onto his arms and chest._

_By word or by blade, love will be slain._

Cyclonus dropped his father's sword, its dull clattering echoing around the room. He fell to his knees behind it, optics shut as the blade of raw, never-forgotten grief pierced his Spark……that is…if he even possessed one.

He pressed his palms flat against the floor, grieving anew for the endless and dark misery that was his existence, feeling the pain of his Creators had suffered. They would never want him this way, but he had no choice, his own heart was a prison from which there was no escape.

Cyclonus, was alone.

* * *

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* * *

"_He that conceals his grief finds no remedy for it"_

-Turkish Proverb

* * *

**A/N: I was feeling quite angsty when I was writing that part between Cyclonus and OilSlick. :) But this is after an edit, I just went back and changed a few things, re-arranged sentences, spell-checked a few things I missed, ect. But there's an important message I have on the Season four of Transformers Animated! Listen up!**

**For those of you who haven't heard yet, Marty Isenberg, one of the writers on the Board for Transformers Animated, deeply wishes to write Season four of our beloved series if the book, The AllSpark Almanac, sells well enough. I have already submitted a review on for the book, which is where you can order it. If the AllSpark Almanac sells well enough and recieves good reviews, then not only will we get a second Almanac book, we will also get our most wanted Season four of TFA! **

**I will post the link to the website on my homepage. You'll find all the information you need there. Now, get going my readers! We want season four! Now get out there people of the world! spread the word! what're you still doing here? GO GO GO GO!! **


	10. Do you know your Enemy?

**I have a very special announcement to make before we start. As of October 21, 2009, A Day in the Life had its very first anniversary!**

**Yaaay!!!**

**Isn't it interesting to think that it was an entire year ago that I submitted that story? I never knew it would be so successful, but here I am, writing the sequel for it. I thank every single one of you for taking a chance and reading my work. :)**

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* * *

"Attempt to fortify your mind, Sari…Clear all of your thoughts. Let your mind expand, until you are calmed enough to focus."

"Hey Prowl! If I'm like a Cybertronian now, with weapons and a comm link, can I pick out a cool vehicle form too?"

Now also having an improved sense of balance, Sari teetered on the edge of her balcony rail, while Prowl, attempting to teach her the arts of meditation, sat cross-legged on the stone. The sun had only just begun to set, casting rich orange beams of solar over the city and lighting everything up with fiery light.

Prowl raised his chin primly, watching her carefully should she lose her balance.

"Being Cybertronian is not all about the disguise you choose. And neither is it the weapon that makes the bot."

Jumping down from the rail to land on the balcony floor, she walked forward, an almost arrogant strut to her stride.

"Maybe not, but I have all of your guy's powers. I mean, I have weapons, boosters on my feet to make me go faster, my eyes and ears and everything are a lot better, and now I don't need a cell-phone anymore, I have my own comm link!"

"Yes, which is why I need to take part in teaching you how to control your powers, less it prove dangerous for others around you."

She did not seem to be listening, instead asking him,

"Hey Prowl, 'think you could give me your frequency connection? Or how to get into it?"

He stared at her.

"You know, so we can talk and stuff, I'm going to ask Bumblebee and Bulkhead's number tomorrow."

"Sari, you must learn that this isn't all a game. …Personally I don't know why your communication line isn't a simple radio frequency like ours."

Sari scratched out a thin white line with her fingernail on the concrete, taking his words into consideration.

"Maybe…its, because I'm organic?" she said with a shrug.

"Perhaps. I myself have never heard of links being able to hack into a cybertronian's processor. Its possible, I'm afraid, and if I remember correctly, Decepticons have been working on a mechanism of the same creation. Fortunately without with any known success."

"I know, Ratchet told me that too. But if it hasn't been done before, then what makes me special?"

"I don't know. Ratchet always seems to know more than he lets on, but I don't think it would be a simple matter to receive answers from him."

"no kidding." she grumbled.

"Now**…**relax." he said.

She watched him for a minute, before adopting the same pose he had taken; her legs crossed, palms facing up on her knees. They sat side-by-side, their breathing and in taking alike barely audible as they slowed their pulses and concentrated on ridding their minds of any stray thoughts. Prowl watched Earth's fiery sun as it crept down towards the worlds edge, welcoming the darker sky of night. A small tremor shivered through his sensory panels, and he looked down at Sari beside him, her eyes half-lidded, her back and limbs going slack as she relaxed. Prowl, in a bittersweet fashion, was reminded of his own days when Yoketron had taught him certain methods to use to calm his thoughts, and, according to him, help create effective methods and techniques in battle.

"Good. Now, I want you to tap into my frequency, without my authorization."

"Without? You mean I have to _work _to talk to you?"

He allowed a small smile on his face.

"Just a small test, to see how you can handle it, and we'll work from there."

Swallowing a few times, she took a deep breath, leveling her heartbeat, then extended her own "link" towards the next closest Cybertronian.

It was relatively easy, that is, with him being so close, but once she heard the low humming of Prowl's waiting frequency, she tapped into it, and was assaulted by a mainstream of other connections he possessed. It was as if she, her mind, was more mechanized, like a satellite of some sort picking up many different channels at once. Through him, she could feel his radio link to Bumblebee, BulkHead, Optimus, and Ratchet, along with the newly added and plentiful frequencies belonging to Jazz, Perceptor, WheelJack, Rodimus and Sentinel, Brawn, Ironhide, Arcee, HotShot and the JetTwins.

Each buzz was like a voice of its own, or a wire connecting to a live station. She even caught a few messages sent over by them, some in English, some transmitted in their own language. It was very confusing and she found herself dizzy and slightly overwhelmed, but after a moment's hesitation and a blunt desire not to give up, she pinpointed Prowl's connection, and, finally, tapped into his communication link.

_Prowl? Did it work? Can you here me?_

_You understand the basics of it._

He ended the connection between them, and Sari cancelled hers as well, though in a somewhat perplexed manner. She blinked, rubbing her eyes and looking up at her appointed teacher. He grinned down at her, impressed that, despite being an organic, and not being use to the links Cybertronians used, she had accomplished the goal of speaking to him.

"Is it always that confusing? How can you focus on one bot if they're all talking?"

"Its never that difficult. Its only like that because I didn't open my frequency to yours, which is why you could sense all of us at once. It can be a challenge for those who are not use to it, but it is useful if an enemy were to eavesdrop on us. At least one of us would know if an unwelcome Decepticon tapped into our communication lines."

"If I were them I would just leave. Its get annoying listening to all of you."

He hummed with amusement, remembering he had said as much during his days of learning.

"I suppose it does become tiring, but if I _were_ to open my frequency directly to you, then everything else would be silent. All you would hear was your own thoughts and what I would be saying to you."

She hung her head, pressing her fingers against her temples.

"This radio-head stuff is hard."

He chuckled quietly, before rising from where he sat. The dying rays from the sunset lit his gold and black armor with flaming colors like a painted iron statue. Following his motion, she stood herself, holding the side of her hand against her forehead to block the light from her sensitive eyes.

"Goodnight, Sari." he said formally.

She grinned up at him and elbowed his leg.

"Yeah yeah, now get outta' here. Bumblebee probably misses ya'."

"Yes, I wouldn't want to disappoint would I?"

She laughed as he leaped upward, soaring up at least fourteen or so feet before activating the thrusters on his shoulders, bounding to each edge or sill of the tower before disappearing into the higher levels, all without the smallest sounds. Turning away from the main body of the tower, she turned to look at the city, the streetlamps, lights from homes, offices, and other locations beginning to make everything sparkle. A stray, cool wind fluttered her hair and tickled her skin, and she redirected her gaze northward, happily remembering flights with her friends.

_The Seeker and the Triple-Changer. Kinda funny if you think about it._

While Blitzwing was off with his own teammates, Starscream was but a few hundred feet below her, in the cold storage rooms below levels. Optimus had warned her to stay well away from him, knowing of their past relations and simply because he was a Decepticon, but where was the harm if he did not catch her down there with him?

She decided it unimportant, and turned around to head back into her room, crossing the threshold and opening her door to the hallway. She couldn't imagine why Optimus was being so angry all the time, or at least when Starscream was around or mentioned. Sari had not seen him act like that big of a jerk since Megatron had been resurrected from her father's lab. It was a sensitive topic, but it was one she would happily broach.

* * *

*******

* * *

"Stay away from me!! What gives you the right to lay your greasy servos on _me_?!"

"I am temporary commanding officer of the Elite Guard, I have every right, and you're not quite in a position to be telling us what to do, Decepticon."

"Hah! The moment I came here I've seen nothing but mista-GET OFF!!"

He snapped at Perceptor as he backed away after snapping a thick, exposed wire between the joints of his wings. The bland personality that he had, the scientist waited some distance away while the 'Con fumed, his optics flicking over his shoulder at the thick panel on his back that divided his wings. It had been invasively pried open by the technician, by the name of WheelJack, and much to his howling protest, had been rearranged while the red-armored one with no emotion dug around inside. They had not even bothered to apply pain-killer or sedative.

"You stay away from me! I've had my circuitry dissected before and I have no intention of allowing you back!"

Starscream rebelliously though futilely thrust his wrists apart to break his bonds, but only succeeded in putting him back into stasis. His optics flared with crimson rage as Sentinel laughed and stepped forward, clicking his glossa disappointedly.

"Ohh, you can fight all you want, Screamer, but we're under orders to get what specs we didn't get last time before you escaped. Now,"

He knocked on the side of Starscream's head with his knuckles.

"lets see what this ol' one-track model holds."

He shoved a mouth clamp onto the Seeker's jaws before he could protest, then motioned for the scientists to continue. Muffled snarls burbled from behind the clamp at first, then turning into hisses as Perceptor kneeled and traced a cord until it connected at a black port near his wing-strut. A panel above his wrist slid back, transforming to a pair of tweezers to grip the wire, then carefully dislodge it.

A violent shiver ran down Starscream's spine and his head trembled. WheelJack walked around the length of him and kneeled beside his great black head. Carefully taking his chin, he lifted Starscream's blank gaze to look at him, applying pressure above his optic coverings until he blinked.

"Log, Perceptor: spinal connection 87-S, optical sensors offline, short range of reaction."

"So noted."

Starscream continued to blink his sightless optics, the grey lenses flicking back and forth, seeing nothing. The Seeker flinched, contracting his shoulders as the merciless Autobot began to delicately unscrew a lopsided piston-ring, pulling it off the socket from Starscream's shoulder blade. He hissed as the circlet was pulled off and the socket screwed tightly back into place. Perceptor's optics glowed a brighter shade of blue as he scanned the polished ring, taking the track data into his processor for later reference. He reattached the ring in a proper angle, before the tweezers on his wrist retracted a single prong, instead turning into a thin scalpel.

WheelJack involuntarily took a breath and even Sentinel blinked a few times as Perceptor pressed the knife-tip against a purple vein against a black panel. A snarl shortly followed as he pressed the blade into the cell, cutting away a piece of the brittle circuit. WheelJack offered a glass container, which Perceptor then dropped the bleeding flake of metal into and resealed. WheelJack took back the container, and Perceptor, with great care, reinserted the black cord, giving Starscream his sight back.

He blinked rapidly, twisting his head around in an attempt to view what the red Autobot was doing next. He had taken a small flask, from his subspace container, and had taken several drops of energon from a small incision. Starscream did not seem to mind this much; after all, he had blood taken from him before, although, usually in the heat of battle. He stored the flask back into the subspace container in his chest before reaching down and disconnecting another cable.

Starscream did his namesake well, and screamed. He howled and he howled until his voice began to crack with static and he could not even hear the panicked cries of the other two Autobots commanding the red one to stop. He felt a jolt and the pain stopped, though it left his Spark hammering and his vocals aching. His chest slowly heaved up and down from the force of his wailing. The pain…oh, the pain! Horrible it had been. He didn't know what the Autobot had done, but he assumed he must've unwired a spinal connection, one that connected to a sensory panel. He heard the two of them taking notes on his reaction and then the red one scanning the bundle of nerves growing out of said panel.

Starscream let out an involuntary shiver of relief as they resealed the thick metal covering on his back. His wings relaxed and his breathing slowed as the red Autobot stood.

"I have received the remaining schematics on his thruster application in flight. Your current information is complete." he droned.

"Good, maybe now we can re-upgrade the Twins with better specs than the outdated ones we had."

He looked down at Starscream pitilessly, then said to him,

"Pretty soon a couple of _Autobots_will be stronger than you, Starscream. And we'll just be using your old frame as an example in a museum."

He jerked back as the Seeker snapped around, thrashing in his direction. The blue prime laughed and pushed his head away with the tip of his small blue foot.

"Ohh, this just gets better all the time. Optimus may be one big malfunction, but he strikes a good deal."

Starscream snarled out snatches of words from behind his mask, only a few of them being intelligible. He glared at the three of them while wrenching at his cuffs.

"_Kill- want- blood- filth-you-Optimus- die!!"_

Sentinel lost his smirking countenance for a moment to frown and step back, looking slightly alarmed.

"Oh, well, um, lets get going, then."

He hurried to the door which slid open at his motion, Perceptor and WheelJack following. Starscream was left, silently raging in the cold dark. Slowly raising himself to his knees so as not to activate the electrical shock by the stasis cuffs, he hooked his claw tips against the clamp, carefully working them in until he felt his lips, and then harshly yanked away, pulling off the restraint which clattered to the floor. He hissed between his gritted dentals, staring at the featureless metal before him. How dare they expose his circuitry and muscles, how dare they chip away pieces of him for examination. Ohh, how much he looked forward to ripping out their throats and extinguishing their Sparks once their leader was dead, how he would cherish it! He certainly looked forward to the red Autobot. Anyone who felt the need to delete emotion from their processor to make room for more knowledge had to know useful things, information that could help him dearly.

The Seeker had just begun to imagine what the Autobot's face would look like while he tore open his skull to get the processor inside, when the door to his prison slid open. Baring his teeth in a savage snarl, he spat,

"Come back, have you?! Well come on! You thought that was pain, Wait until-"

Sari stared at him, one hand gripping the wall as she leaned against it. He blinked and visibly relaxed, shuttering his optics halfway and turning his head away.

"Come to see me?"

She pushed off the wall and walked towards him, giving him a sympathetic smile as she looked at his slouched frame. She stopped at his knee, tracing the sharply curved edge and admiring the brilliancy of his armor even in the dark room.

"What'd they do? I thought I heard you screaming."

"Huh, you heard right. They pried me open and examined me like I was some experiment."

She looked back down, nodding her head. Moving her hand, she rubbed his knee, earning a small shiver from him. She smiled and continued rubbing the grey metal, much to his reluctant enjoyment. She subconsciously continued "petting" him and looked around the room, noting its cold temperature, the confining spaces; she pitied him for being trapped in such a dismal place. It was his own fault; he had turned himself in with barely a fight, and this was only a portion of the price he was paying. But Optimus was commander in this situation, if she could convince him to give her friend a paroled freedom, no one could raise a hand against him. If only the begrudging Prime could let go of his prejudice, just once, to listen and not judge, like she had.

"I'm sorry you're always stuck down here."

"Hm. Its not your fault."

She stepped back as he slid back onto the floor, turning around until his back was pressed against the wall. Once settled, she walked forth herself, climbing onto his waist without effort due to her newfound strength, and seated herself on the lower part of his cockpit.

"Don't you get bored down here, Starscream? Don't you miss flying or anything?"

He snorted, a small smirk shifting his lips.

"Hmf, you have no idea. But I'm merely following the rules laid down for me."

The sarcasm dripping from his voice was so blunt, she had to smile, making his own grin widen.

"Even if that Autobot gave me parole, none of them would accept me. I would be as insignificant as you would be in a group of Decepticons."

"Thanks for the comparison."

"Of course."

She shook her head at him and he sneered back, optics sparkling with amusement at the annoyance he caused her.

He turned his head upward to the ceiling, almost regretfully.

"A quick flight would be nice though."

"I know you miss it, maybe if I talked to-"

The door suddenly slid into the wall as Optimus, optics narrowed into dangerous blue slits, walked in.

"Optimus." Sari finished. Quickly stepping down from Starscream's chest, she quickly crossed the room and looked up at him, though the Prime still had his burning glare fixed on the Seeker.

"I believe she wants to speak with you, Autobot." he said.

"Optimus,"

He dragged his gaze away from him to look at her.

"What did I tell you about coming down here?"

She glanced back at Starscream, then back into those blue optics.

"C'mon, Prime. You can't keep him here forever. My dad probably wouldn't let you, and when are you guys even going back to Cybertron? It could take a while, y'know."

Optimus resented the fact that she was right. Freedom was the right of all sentient beings, Starscream included. He couldn't just lock him up in the Professor's home and business tower for the supposed months that they were staying there. And if Starscream truly did mean what he said, though he doubted the Flier would ever tell the truth, perhaps he could tell them secrets and information on Megatron and how he communicated with other Decepticon forces, and otherwise give them important information. All for the simple favor of parole.

"I'll _think_ about it. But stay away from him until I decide." he added sharply.

She smiled hugely, astounded at her luck. She glanced back at Starscream whose face showed more surprise than happiness. Looking back up at him, she patted his leg gratefully.

"I knew you would say yes! Thanks, Prime!"

Before he could tell her what he truly said, she bounded past his legs and up the winding corridor, disappearing into its dark recesses. He sighed, then turned back to Starscream, anger replacing his exasperated features. Pointing at him with a sharp blue digit, he said,

"I know you're up to something, _Starscream_. But let me tell you this; if she, or any other of my teammates get hurt because of _you, _then you won't have to worry about your "destiny", because I'll be there to end it, right then and there."

Starscream was not truly afraid, but there was full truth in the Autobot's cold words. With the threat hanging in the air like foul smoke, Optimus turned and left, leaving the Decepticon-outcast alone.

* * *

*******

* * *

"Well, you've certainly seized every _material_ opportunity, that's for sure."

"Weapon makes the 'bot, kid. You think I'd be here right now if hadn't gotten all this stuff?"

Swindle admiringly examined an iron staff with a blade mounted on each end, gold filigree curving around the ebony handle. At his touch, the energon-blades glowed with blue light. Amused, he twirled it in the air, brandishing it at imaginary foes before resetting the blades and placing the old weapon back on its designated rack.

"So, since I'm here, what do you think of Megatron suddenly reeling us all in?"

"So long as I get my share of pay, I don't care what he does." he said, moving across the room to wipe a polishing rag over a black and gold shield.

Swindle reached up past one of the higher shelves to bring down a handheld blaster, with a faded Autobot symbol on the outside of the barrel and the rusted, carved words on the bottom of the handle that spelt, _"Property of SunStreaker"_.

"Huh, I hear that. Just think, when this whole fiasco's over, we'll be swimming in profit. Do you how much money comes out of war victories? All those bots wanting to buy junk for their celebrations and whatnot. What would you pay for this?"

Lockdown looked over to see him holding a black and gold helmet, the slanted hornlike prongs glinting in the dull light of his ship's weapon room, one of many.

"Not for sale. Went through a whole lot of trouble to get that."

"Hmm, trouble, eh? What _type_ of trouble are we talking here?"

"My first heist as a bounty hunter."

"Ohh, yeah, I heard about that; you robbed that old ninja-bot and all the protoforms he had hanging around, right?"

"You'd be surprised what good money is in a single Protoform. Ol' Megatron back there certainly had an interest in them."

"What a coincidence," Swindle said in a spirited tone. "I could make use of a protoform myself. Still got 'em, Lockdown ol' buddy?"

"Weren't you listening? I sold them all."

The arms dealer rolled his large optics towards the ceiling before striding forward and leaning against the wall beside him.

"Aww, c'mon, you're not holding out on me, eh Lockdown? There's a long-range circuit tracker in it for ya'. Cheap, 'cause we're such good friends."

Lockdown moved away from the wall, taking Yoketron's helmet from his hands and placing it on a clean silver table with other articles of armor.

"Not in this business deal, Swindle. Besides, Protoforms are weird pieces of technology. I was happy to get rid of them."

Swindle pointed at himself.

"Well then you should've gotten rid of them to me. I would've put them to better use."

"Hah, you wouldn't want one even if I did have one, Swindle. Those things affect the bots around them in weird ways."

"If you mean weird ways, then you mean suddenly acquiring large amounts of cash."

Lockdown groaned and pressed the heel of his servo to his face with annoyance. Megatron's plan had better work, otherwise he would never forgive him for having to be partners with Swindle.

* * *

*******

* * *

"Ugh, I'm beginning to regret putting you in that transwarp field." Blackarachnia groaned.

Waspinator, or so he had renamed himself, picked himself off the ground after once again being defeated by the ever-evasive femme. His forked tongue dangle limply from between his toothy jaws as he panted, his transparent magenta wings drooping on his back.

"Waspinator, zarry, for, doing, attack, wrong." he panted.

"Uhn, forget it. Lets move on to something else. Now, watch me and do exactly as I do."

Snapping around, she brought her leg up high, whipping it sideways in the air to take a thick out of an old pine tree. The large dagger of wood speared itself into the ground, leaving an identically shaped hole in the bark of three. Thick, golden sap leaked from the soft interior wood, drizzling along the trunk like a gruesome wound.

She turned back at him, motioning at the tree.

"Imagine this organic plant as your enemy, now try again and do it right."

She quickly backed up as he sprang forward on his spindly green legs, flapping his wings for thrust and then bringing his left leg up and raking it across the trunk with the opposable claws on his foot, but not to the effect he desired. Having gone too close, his hooked talons stuck fast in the thick wood, tripping him onto his back and twisting his leg.

The techno-organic whimpered loudly before snapping his jaws shut, determined not to show weakness in front of his personal mistress. She groaned and strode forward, roughly grabbing his ankle and yanking it out. She left him to pick himself up, instead walking away. He gently tapped his aching foot against the ground, then flapped his thin, organic wings to hover beside her.

"I hated the fact that I was the only one with this foul contamination. I'm not alone now, but _boy_ do I regret it." she scoffed.

He bobbed in the air around her, lowering his neck to glance sidelong at her.

"Waspinator proud to be organic, Waspinator want to be powerful like Spider-bot."

"Huh, got a long way to go, bug-boy."

A rustling in the nearby shrubbery caught Waspinator's attention. He ceased his hovering, landing carefully on the ground and staring at the undergrowth. She caught his gaze and stared in the same direction as he, wondering why he would have such interest in a primitive organic-mammal.

Waspinator's wings gave a single, slow flap, he lowered his head, then lunged forward, jaws gaping. His head and neck disappeared into the plants, there was a sharp squeal then silence. Blackarachnia blinked, surprised by his agility and complete silence during the execution of the maneuver. She attempted to look past his shoulder as he smoothly retracted his reptilian neck and shoulders from the bushes, twisting around to look at her and revealing a dead stag hanging limp from his jaws, though completely unmarred from wounds or blood or any other indication of how Waspinator had killed the animal.

With a sharp toss of his head, he threw the body at Blackarachnia's feet, where it landed heavily in the grass, its neck flopping. Curious, she kneeled beside the creature and rubbed a sharp purple digit along its short-furred neck, feeling no bones out of place, only the thin tooth marks where his teeth had punctured. Blackarachnia was impressed; if she could build on his accuracy for pressure points of the body, she could train him to become a lethal adversary, and perhaps learn a thing or two herself.

"Maybe you're not so far off as I thought, Waspy."

"Waspinator, make spider-bot happy?"

"Oho, yes, very happy." she smirked.

* * *

Lugnut and Blitzwing were strolling through the forest around the same time as Blackarachnia and Waspinator were. Comical as it seemed, they had been fortunate enough to be put on patrol duty, allowing them time to be alone with one another's thoughts. Though each consciousness mostly contained Megatron and the other mixed emotions of anger and happiness. Lugnut, however, had ceased his vigorous worshipping of the Tyrant to worry about a problem of his own; the fact that Team Chaar was on their way. It surprised Blitzwing to a level when he realized how anxious his preferred comrade could be. It always seemed Lugnut possessed the processor of a simple drone; either standing in silence or attacking, whichever fit the situation. But not now. At the moment, Lugnut confessed details to Blitzwing as to why he nervously awaited the extra recruit's arrival.

"Do you think that, ehem, she will still perceive me as she did during our visit on New Kaon?" he grunted, clearing his throat in a way that he did not normally do.

Icy rolled his shoulders, looking away in a monotone fashion.

"You shouldn't let these petty worries distract you from your duty, Lugnut."

"They don't," he exclaimed harshly. "I would never let the opinion of a lowly femme decide myself, only by Megatron's word am I at all worthy!"

Random, somehow finding this conflicts of emotion amusing, said to his friend with a chuckle,

"Bull-slag."

"It is not!"

"Zhen vhy bring eet up now, Lugnut?" said Icy. "Jou und Strika seem quite compatible."

"You, urhm, think so?" he grunted, rubbing his humped back.

Blitzwing's lips lifted into a small smirk. "Oh yez, quite a perfect match."

_Ha! Good vone, brozzer! _thought Random.

"And vhen do zhey arrive?"

"Two solar-cycles."

Blitzwing stepped ahead of him to part a particularly close-set stand of trees, cracking branches and frightening birds from their nests. He stepped inside into the natural spring that Blackarachnia had discovered. Lugnut thudded past him, but Blitzwing stared past him to look at the empty, grassy spot dotted with delicate blossoms and was surrounded by randomly placed trees that led into the main forest. Bittersweet memories of he and Sari sitting in the same spot arose in his splintered processor, making his Spark ache. If only Megatron, cruel and untimely as he could be, had not arrived when he had, she and him would've remained together in what blissful hours they had to themselves before she would've had to be taken back to her living quarters.

_Megatron's favored pastime seems to be shattering a bot's happiness when it is at its peak. _he thought.

"And yourself, Blitzwing?"

Lugnut's gruff tone brought him back to attention. Blitzwing glanced once more at the grassy spot that was their's before walking to where Lugnut was, leaning awkwardly on the jagged mess of boulders behind him.

"Vhat do jou mean?"

He shuttered his single optic at him for a moment, as if the answer was obvious. Blitzwing lowered his gaze.

"Oh…yez, her."

"Don't you miss her company?"

Icy shook his head, looking away for a moment. "Terribly…" he murmured.

"Hm?"

"Yez, I vish zhis Var vas not so. If not for ze constant fighting and separation, we would be togezzer alvays, without fear of enemies or other petty distractions."

Icy snorted bitterly and shook his head, optics shuttered.

"Yez, Lugnut, pathetic I must sound with mein wishful thinking.

Lugnut turned his body partway, staring at the Triple-changer and thinking about his relation to the little-human-organic, Sari. He was not one for deep thinking, but Lugnut had known Blitzwing for a long time, even before they had begun to fight as the Decepticons they had chosen to be. At first it had been hesitation, just like any other young bot on the field, but soon after, war had hardened his Spark into a burned stone of iron, not willing to let anything or anyone in.

Of course, Lugnut had had his share of killing, but he had seen the Split-Spark warrior stride or fly through battlefields, killing with icy blasts and lethal blows to their bodies…all with a calm, disdainful face, never once flinching. He didn't know who was worse besides, between Random and HotHead; Random laughing as he tore apart Autobots with his bare hands, cackling and ripping at their organs even after they were dead, or his heated personality who continued fighting even if he could barely move due to sever damage or fluid loss, but always letting his enemies and victims suffer before finally granting them the mercy of being killed.

He certainly hadn't changed his programming over the centuries, his violent tendencies to change personalities being slightly tempered after the Great War had been won by the Autobots, and he and what others were left went into hiding, exiled, scrounging for existence until Megatron, glorious, merciful, all-knowing Megatron had brought them back, given them hope.

Lugnut could understand Blitzwing's guardianship over the small child. She was like his "little sister", as the humans called them. He loved her, of that there was no doubt, nor did he doubt that he would do anything for the little human. Millenniums of war had done that to them; such as himself being paranoid about Strika when she was alone, though he knew full-well that she could take care of herself, and Blitzwing being so protective once becoming acquainted with her, for fear of her permanently being taken away from him because of the fighting. No, Sari had to be something very special if she could ease her way into Blitzwing's heart.

"Besides the child with the key, do you believe that our Master, will grant you permission to have a mate?"

Blitzwing blinked and stood up straight, staring at him.

"A _mate? _You amuse me, Lugnut."

"What of Starscream's femme-clone? Have you no concern for the survival of your specific species?"

Now it was Icy's turn to laugh.

"Ha! Starscream's femme? You think I vould Spark-Bond vith her und expect un Triple-Changer Sparkling like myself, Lugnut?"

The thug just blinked.

"eet iz not zhat simple, Lugnut. I am ze offspring of a Flier femme, und mein Sire vas the twisted result of an experiment to make better soldiers. I vould not have zhat screechy, Starscream-byproduct be mein life partner as eet iz."

Lugnut was silenced by his biting words, and the undertone of his voice that sounded almost……regretful? It was possible; after all, being the last known member of your kind could make you feel lonely such as he felt. All well, it had only been a suggestion.

Blitzwing had been staring at the ground, the curve of his helmet blocking his gaze from view when his head sharply snapped up. He stared through the trees, narrowing his optics until he rolled them and scowled.

"Your foul organic mode may fool others, Blackarachnia, but not I."

A cluster of nearby oak leaves rustled, then Blackarachnia and her new partner, Waspinator, emerged from the dim recesses of the woods. Waspinator tilted his acidly-green head back, taking in the features of the spring tucked away in the organic forest. Blackarachnia smirked at the triple-changer, all four optics narrowed.

"Who would want to SparkBond with _you_ anyway, three-face?"

She tightly put a hand on her belly as if in pain.

"Just the thought makes me want to purge my systems until I'm offline."

Blitzwing stared coldly back, a low growl escaping his throat. She glanced warily at him, though continued grinning.

"Quite difficult to SparkBond vhen your frame iz part-organic…und ze fact zhat your mate of choice iz an Autobot."

Waspinator stretched his jaws wide, lunging for the Flier when Blackarachnia reached out and grabbed his wing in a tight grip, yanking him back without much effort. Blitzwing stared at the techno-organics, gaze unflinching.

"Three-face bot make spider-bot unhappy! Three-face talk about Autobots. Spider-bot hate Autobots! Waspinator punish bad three-face bot!" he hissed.

For some unknown reason, Blackarachnia smiled, reaching up and scratching Waspinator's lower jaw for a several nanoclicks until he relaxed. He looked questioningly at her and she grinned back, saying,

"Its all right, Waspy. Three-face here is simply jealous."

"Oh yez, Blackarachnia. Vhat I vouldn't _give_ to be techno-organic." he drawled.

She just let out a small giggle. She scratched Waspinator's jaw again.

"Blitzwing here is jealous of myself because I actually have a bot, while he is the last Triple-Changer with no hope of ever finding a femme for himself."

For once, Blitzwing was struck dumb. He stared in mute shock at her. His other personas spoke, but he was deaf to the other's comments, only hearing her unjust words. He barely seemed to notice as she began to walk away, commenting to Waspinator,

"Well, you'll never see one of his kind again. Since he's the last of his kind, its strange to think that when he's dead, they're extinct."

He heard Lugnut say something, but Blitzwing stared at the ground again, feeling the planet's night cycle wrap its cold fingers around his frame.

_Alone…?_

* * *

_*******_

* * *

With a scowl on his face and simmering resentment in his Spark, Optimus wound his way up out of the lower storage levels of Sumdac Tower to emerge into the lobby, dark due to the sun that had set. He was grateful that the professor's tower was so large; in this way, the doors were large enough that he and his teammates could squeeze through. The cool night air, however, did nothing to soothe his heated temper. Winding his way around the building with long, irritated strides, he came around the back of the tower, facing the sliding garage-like door that slid upward to reveal the precious cargo elevator that the professor used to ship important or fragile products to the, usually armored, delivery vehicles below. He stepped inside, turning around to face front as the door hissed tightly shut, enveloping him in cramped darkness as the elevator lifted him.

He hated him. From the red optics of his, to the Decepticon symbols that were burned into his wings. Starscream was a Decepticon, manipulating, deceitful, traitorous, evil, painting the earth behind him with blood and corpses. What else did he expect of the son of the mech who had aided Megatron in starting the Great War? Optimus believed in fairness and second chances, but a mech as malevolent as Starscream deserved nothing less than shot through his blackened, shriveled rot of a Spark. What Sari saw in him, he might never know, but all he saw when he looked at Starscream was Megatron. Another Tyrant wanting to deceive and murder his way through life. No, Optimus knew he would _never_trust Starscream.

_I shouldn't have agreed to this, its too much! I should let Sentinel have his way with him…be rid of an enemy and a universal threat._

Optimus had never wanted anyone dead before, but he truly meant what he said back in the traitor's prison room. War had taken away so much from him and his teammates, that he could not bare another loss. The Seeker had already killed him before and, by miracle and mercy, Sari's Key had brought him back. _Judgment_, Starscream had asked for, as if Optimus was just going to welcome _him_into their ranks. He was an outsider, the bane of the universe, deserving no more mercy than a rabid wolf or a venomous snake. Optimus expected nothing less from one who intended to follow in the footprints of Megatron once he was gone. Optimus considered himself young, uncertain many times before, but he knew that Starscream would _never_, change.

The door suddenly slid back, revealing the night sky and colder air due to elevation. He stepped off the platform, allowing the mechanized "box" to re-close once again. He walked forward, optics still glaring as he approached the sealed doors to their base. They slid open and closed noiselessly as he stepped inside the dark room. The large perimeter with many tall windows and high ceiling had plenty of room for the assembled Autobots that had come to Earth to aid in the battle against Megatron and his own numerous forces. But for now, they all recharged, their optics off-lined, frames still. Near the far side of the room, Sentinel stood in his vehicle mode, preferring to be alone and away from others due to his resentment of the entire situation.

The only light came from the computer and the console below it as two dark outlines typed and worked away on it. Optimus approached them, already knowing what he wanted. If Starscream wanted freedom, it would be highly limited, and talking with them would be the first step.

Schematics and diagrams of the innards and functions of thruster compulsion and aerodynamics was present on the screen as Optimus stopped behind Perceptor and WheelJack. Clearing his throat for attention, the two scientists reluctantly turned away from their work to face him, expressions stoic.

"What do you two know about tracking devices?"

*******

The next morning came with unexpected swiftness. Below, Detroit had begun to wake; birds spreading their wings and flower buds reopening. Morning traffic beginning to thread its way through the freeways, automatons booting up to carry out chores.

Sari's eyes flicked open, easily awakened from her sleeping state. She pushed off her elbows, sitting up in bed and letting the covers slide off her shoulders. Looking across the room out her windows, she studied the city's finer details, watching the small, faraway movements of people and vehicles.

She climbed out of bed, tossing her hair back behind her and stretching her arms as she went to her dresser to put her hair up and such. She picked up her usual clothes, slipping into them and slipping into her shoes, tying her hair back into the small ponytails that she preferred. After making herself decent, Sari left her room, walking along the hallway for the elevator to head down to the lobby. Today was Starscream's first day of "freedom" and she wanted to spend all of it with him before Optimus could change his mind and say otherwise. But knowing his distaste for the Seeker, there must've been some kind of catch, a drawback of some sort to keep Starscream under watch. She wouldn't mind if one of her other friends came along; in this way, they would have a chance to get to know him better, but not if Optimus was going to be breathing down their necks the entire time.

The elevator opened and she stepped into the lobby, just as a dark shadow filled the windows, and Optimus slipped inside, appearing to be holding something in his fist.

"Hey, Optimus! nice day, huh?" she said good-naturedly.

"Hh? Oh, hi, Sari."

Turning around, she began to jog around the corner, going farther back into the restricted halls, Optimus lagging behind her.

"C'mon, Prime! I know you're probably nervous, but everything will be okay, just give him a chance." she called back.

He stiffened his shoulders bitterly, but continued after her. The dim fluorescent lights did a mediocre job of lighting the chilled passage, but the hall just seemed more forbidding. He watched Sari slow down slightly as a half-hearted growl came from the Dinobot's door. He continued past her, coming to the door he dreaded entering. He didn't have to look down to see Sari's look of anticipation. Taking a breath, he typed the password on a low keypad, allowing the doors to slide open.

Starscream immediately sat up, his joints creaking and grinding against one another hoarsely from lack of movement.

"Ahh, How kind of you to keep your promise, Autobot." he smirked.

Gritting his teeth, Optimus stepped forward and kneeled beside the larger Con, unlocking his stasis cuffs. Starscream gratefully swiveled his wrists back and forth, savoring the feeling of movement. Glancing at Sari, he began to stand, but Optimus sharply reached out and gripped the joint between his shoulder and collar. Starscream wasn't sure whether to snap his wrist, laugh, or both, but then he began to speak.

"Just don't forget what I said, Starscream." he growled.

Starscream smirked and brushed his hand off of his shoulder.

"Wouldn't dream of it."

Standing up together, Optimus pointed at Starscream.

"One chance, Starscream. Prove to me you can handle this, and maybe I won't keep you locked up in here."

"You are _most_generous, Autobot." he sneered, bowing mockingly.

Sari began to leave, and Starscream quickly began to walk behind her, eagerly following. With an irritated glare at his back, Optimus followed behind both of them, staring at Starscream's neck.

They emerged into the main lobby where, fortunately, none of the employees had arrived. Sari skipped outside, turning back around to watch Starscream and Optimus squeeze their way out of the lobby.

"Don't let the door hit you on the way out." Starscream snickered as Optimus's leg became caught in a corner.

Both bots looked up as Sari let out a surprised gasp. Standing in the courtyard near the driveway of the lobby was Bumblebee, but it was not he Sari was surprised to see, it was the other bot standing beside him.

Blurr, awake with full color and luster restored to his once damaged body stood beside his fellow speedster, a small smile on his face, his fist on his hip. His grin grew more as Sari ran up to him, a bright smile on her face.

"Blurr, you're okay!"

"Yes I am quite okay in fact I've never felt better due to your healing abilities that Ratchet has informed about which I find very intriguing along with the fact that you are also a techno-organic crossed with human DNA is that correct?"

She giggled at his fast-talking ways, though still being able to at least understand him and respond,

"Yeah, that's right. Are you and Bumblebee coming with us today?"

"Yes that is correct Optimus Prime has invited me along to accompany you and the Decepticon prisoner Starscream."

Leaning into him, Starscream hissed,

"This _wasn't_part of our deal, Autobot. I asked for parole, not a sparkling-sitter!"

Optimus cocked an optical ridge, seeming unaffected by his angry words.

"What's wrong, Starscream? You're not going to let two Autobots stop you, are you?"

Starscream clenched and unclenched his talons, grumbling in his own tongue. Sari grinded the heel of her shoe against the ground. Wanting to relieve the tension, she looked up at Bumblebee and asked,

"So, what're we doing today, Bee?"

He clenched his fists and smirked.

"I'm gonna show Zippy here who the real street demon is."

He turned to look up at Blurr challengingly.

"And don't think just because you got you skid plate whooped by a couple of Decepticons, doesn't mean I'll go easy on you."

"That doesn't sound like a waste of my life-cycle at all." Starscream sniffed.

"Huh, well no one asked you to come along, Screamy." Bumblebee sniped back, putting his fists on his hips.

Starscream stepped forward challengingly. "That's big talk for a tiny bot."

Bumblebee stomped forward, tilting his head back to look up.

"Oh yeah? Well that's a long sentence for a _dumb_ bot!"

The Seeker laughed, finding it incredibly humorous for one of the smallest Autobot younglings to stand up to him. Perhaps he could have fun with this.

"All right, I'll go with you, Autobot." he reached down and tapped Bumblebee's, much smaller in comparison, head.

"I want to see what else you got."

Bumblebee swiped at his hand before pivoting on his heel and huffily making his way towards the road. Sari sighed and followed after. Starscream shook his cramped wings, stretched his arms overhead, and leaped upward, transforming and soaring high overhead, circling until the two earthbound bots drove off.

Optimus watched Starscream for at least a full minute, expecting him to turn back and open fire, attack the city, or speed his way back to the Decepticons, but all he did was do intricate curves and twists in the air. Optimus then approached Blurr, tapping him on the shoulder.

"There's a tracking beacon on Starscream's neck. If he tries anything, we'll know where he is, and put him in stasis."

The Elite Guardsmen nodded and gave a quick salute before transforming at Optimus's feet and driving after Bumblebee's retreating form. Starscream circled for a few minutes longer before following after, Optimus's ever untrusting optics upon him.

Sari let out her breath as she watched Optimus, at last, turn away and leave in the reflection of Bumblebee's rearview mirror. She looked expectantly at Bumblebee's GPS screen where she imagined he watched her from.

"Okay, so where to, Bumblebee?"

"You remember those places where we had the street races? And we found the AllSpark fragment too?"

"Really? We're going there?"

"Yeah," he said, a little uncertainly. "I mean, we would've picked a better spot, but we didn't think some dumb Decepticon was gonna be coming with us."

She patted his steering wheel.

"He's not dumb, he just…" she shrugged, looking for the word. "has a bad temper."

"Huh, I'll say." he snorted.

Unable to convince him, she looked out the window to see Blurr curving and sliding from lane to lane, impatient at Bumblebee's slower speed.

"Blurr looks a lot better. Remember how messed up he was?"

"Oh yeah I do, but Doc-bot wanted me to show him around, get him back into gear."

"Still think you can beat him?" she teased.

"Just wait, I'm gonna show him who's really the fastest!"

_Wishful thinking, Bee. _she thought.

She grabbed his steering wheel as he abruptly drove down a sharply slanted hill into the empty canal where the Underground races had been held. He and Blurr aligned themselves beside each other, engines thrumming smoothly. She quickly stepped out and backed up, giving them room as they transformed. Shortly after, a roar of much louder engines interrupted them as Starscream dived down, transforming and thudding onto the ground.

Both Autobots regarded the Decepticon warily, looking him up and down slowly before gradually turning back to Sari. She walked forward, coming to stand in front of them.

"ok, listen up. Just one time around the block, and whoever makes it back first wins, got it?"

Both bots crouched lower. Quickly running out of the way and standing at a safe distance, she called over,

"On your marks, get set-"

They disappeared. Well at least to Sari it seemed so. Just a flash of light blue, and a, more defined, flash of yellow as they both took off down the raceway. Starscream prowled to Sari's side, sitting down beside her and making the stone quiver as he leaned his back against the slanting canal wall. She sat down beside his foot, leaning her back against it.

"Quite pathetic, that yellow one." he said.

"What, why?"

"Does he actually _believe _he can outrun an Elite Guard member?"

She shrugged. "I guess not. But how's it feel to be outside?"

"Its an improvement."

She laughed. Then, struck with the idea, she said,

"Guess what, Starscream."

"Hm?"

"I have a comm link now too," she pointed at her temple. "So I can talk with you whenever I want. Prowl taught me."

"Comm link, hm? That's not surprising, it was bound to happen anyway." he waved vaguely at her.

"What? How would you know?"

"Think, Sari. Has anything not been surprising these past solar-cycles?"

"Well, no."

"Hmf. Exactly."

She turned away from him as the sound of car engines reached her. Starscream kept his optics on the road for a minute, before rising to his feet and stepping forward.

"I know what'll make this _dismal_ day brighter." he smirked.

She blinked at him, confused, until she looked back out at the road, just in time to see a sparkle of blue. She heard Starscream quietly mutter to himself,

"one, two, three-" and stuck his long leg out in the middle of the road. There was a sharp banging retort as Blurr's nimble feet collided with Starscream's, sending the smaller bot tumbling head over heels onto the ground, leaving shallow scratches in the stone as he went before finally banging to a stop against a support pillar. Starscream's harsh laughter overrode the sound of engines as Bumblebee sped over the designated finish line. Deactivating his thrusters, he pumped his fists in the air, crying out.

"Ha! I told you I was the fastest! Nothing beats me!"

Starscream laughed again, screechy and amused. "Ohh, you proved me wrong, Autobot. That was quite impressive."

Bumblebee turned his large grin to Starscream, asking, "You mean it? Really?"

The yellow bot suddenly seemed to remember who he was talking to, and put on an unconvincingly irritated face.

"Hah, like you would know, Starscream."

Starscream strode towards him, though not with malice or anger.

"Oh, but I would know, Autobot. Imagine if you had real thrusters, like mine, nothing would stop you. Its certainly possible, I mean, after all you defeated an Elite Autobot. Not very many can do that."

Bumblebee could detect his teasing tones, but there was no doubt that, in a way, Starscream was complimenting him. Or was it mockery?

"Ahh, forget about it. I wouldn't want anyone comparing me to a Decepticon. That would really stink." he smirked, looking pointedly at him.

He put his fists on his hips. "Oh? And why wouldn't you want to be compared to a faction so powerful?"

"Hah! Not very powerful if you guys are stranded in caves while the rest of us are having parties and shows and awards."

"Hm, we'll see who the power shifts to in the near future."

He straightened up and stepped away from the small bot, leaving him slightly spooked in the process. Blurr, having shakily risen to his feet, dragged himself over to Bumblebee's side, panting.

"Personally I don't know what could've happened I knew I had left you far behind but then I lost my balance somehow and you were claimed the winner." he said, none too happy.

"What can I say? You're slowing down, Zip. While you've been off running all over the galaxy, I've been here getting better…than you." he teased.

Sari shook her head and looked away, not having the heart to tell him what had truly happened. Starscream seemed to think as much; shaking his head with his arms crossed.

Blurr blinked and pressed a digit to his temple, head tilting to the side.

_Blurr, its Optimus._

_Ahh yes hello Optimus Prime is there something you need me to do and or carry out?_

_Oh. No, Blurr. I need you to return to our headquarters here, Sentinel needs to debrief you, ever since he found out now you've recovered. _

_Mhmm Yes sir Optimus Prime I will be there in ETA thirty seconds or less depending on native traffic and time of my departure which should be right about now I will be there shortly._

Sari shook her head at Blurr; she deeply pitied those who dealt with him in everyday life. Turning to them with a bright smirk, he said,

"Well I really must be off now Optimus Prime requires me to return to Sumdac Tower also known as our base for a debriefing session with Sentinel Prime and I will see you all later!"

He turned his backs to them and rocketed away towards the streets, a sharp wind and black marks on the pavement was all that was left of him.

Once departed, Bumblebee seemed less confident than he had been; walking behind Sari and staying behind her like a nervous animal with a predator nearby. Starscream sensed his fear and played on it, stepping closer to girl and bot.

"All right. If I am to become an _Autobot_, I should get to know your culture better." he said.

"Culture?" Bumblebee asked, feeling smaller than usual.

"Yes," he twirled his claw in the air in a small circle. "What do Autobots do besides repair space bridges and rescue organics?"

"We-uh, um, we…" Bumblebee tapped his chin looking away, feeling unease from Starscream's stare.

"I can tell you that, we have fun." Sari cut in.

"Oh, uh, yeah! And, what she said." he put in.

Starscream lost his jeering countenance to look slightly puzzled.

"fun?"

"Yeah, you know, like, video games, races, roller coasters, monster-movie marathons, slammer parties-"

"_Slumber_ parties, Bumblebee." Sari corrected, giggling.

"Yeah, right, right. But you should really get into racing, the streets are awesome. Even one time, me and Sari got into this underground street racing thing, though its not really underground, they just call it that, but anyway, I, we, uh, Starscream?"

The Seeker, having become annoyed at the smaller bot had turned away and now absently walked along the canal, studying the scratches and tire marks on the concrete. The foolish Autobot, he had lost to the blue bot before, he was sure of that without needing evidence, but was he so gullible as to thinking that, the one moment he was there, he had won the race? Bah! Starscream knew what true speed was. Being on the ground, imprisoned by gravity, it was not speed at all if you were confined to the earth. No, true velocity was in the air, where the entire sky was your road, and there were no petty obstacles, such as the earth, where any slight mistake could send you crashing. In the air was were the real action was. In flight, no one could best him…perhaps he could show the Autobot why.

"This bores me, Autobot." he sharply spoke up.

Bumblebee crossed his arms, his lips slightly pouted with annoyance.

"Oh yeah, we're _so_ sorry that we're boring you, _Decepticon_."

Starscream ignored him and dug the tip of his foot into the concrete, a small pile of grey dust rising above it as he dug away at the stone.

"You say no one can best you? Then lets prove it, you and me, race, now."

Bumblebee's expression dropped.

"A race? You mean, like…race-race?"

"Obviously."

"Well, I don't know, Optimus might want us to go back soon and-Sari? Sari! Where're you going?"

While they had been speaking, Sari had taken off down the canal at a run, quickly disappearing. She called back,

"it's a race isn't it? C'mon! The looser has to paint their armor pink!"

Starscream and Bumblebee glanced at each other, mouths slightly open, before they both ran after her, Starscream quickly gaining on her and leaving Bumblebee behind due to his larger size. He noticed, with some surprise and fascination that her heart rate and breathing was not as harsh as they should be, instead being about as regular as if she were merely jogging. She looked up at him, smiling.

"Lets see you best me, human!"

She laughed and continued pacing with him. From behind, Bumblebee gave a shout and began to catch up, his wheels on his feet allowing more speed until he was striding beside them. The ground rumbled from the impact of the robot's feet. Starscream sneered at Bumblebee before taking longer strides, stepping ahead of him competitively. A sharp pang of warmth snapped against his heel and he stumbled, though quickly regaining his balance. He sharply whipped his head around to see the Autobot with his pitiful weapon out, grinning profusely. He growled and sharply turned away, keeping his pace.

From behind, Sari laughed, and he turned to see that she had jumped onto the Autobot's shoulder, holding on as he ran. They both laughed and he glided over to race beside Starscream once again. He watched them for a minute, playing and laughing during their competition. Why were they? Didn't they take their training seriously?

She suddenly jumped down, slowing behind them but quickly catching up, laughing just as much. The yellow Autobot then did something very unexpected; he leaned over, and gave the Seeker a playful push. _Playful_, Starscream noted, not threatening or wanting to knock him over, like, he was toying with him. Starscream edged away from him, but the small bot fired up the round thrusters on his shoulder, propelling him forward and letting him bob back and forth in front of the larger bot, calling up,

"C'mon, Starscream! Stop being all serious, have some fun!"

Starscream furrowed his brow, looking at him and then Sari as she activated the propellers on the pads of her shoes, shooting her forward to Bumblebee's level.

"I don't understand! Why are we playing this game? Don't you two know the meaning of training!" he shouted over the roar of the wind.

Sari laughed and shook her head sharply.

"Training! This is just for fun!" she called back happily.

Starscream's expression relaxed.

"Fun?" he asked quietly.

She laughed and continued racing beside him. Bumblebee twisted around suddenly wheeled to the side, racing up the slanting wall of the canal, now running at an angle to them.

"Yeah! You gotta get out more often, Starscream! Y'know, fun! Aaahahaha!" he cried out, jumping back onto the main road.

_Allright, if an Autobot can do it, I can. _he thought to himself.

With a shout, he activated his own thrusters, quickly leaving the ground, but ascending only fifteen or so feet above them. He sharply curved down, batting at Bumblebee as he drove beneath. Ducking away from the claws, Bumblebee seemed to think he was under attack before he turned to see the teasing smirk on his faceplates. Accepting his challenge with a smug look of his own, Bumblebee aimed his stingers up, firing two shots at his chest. Starscream then decided to forget his contempt, just for a moment, and laughed.

The bursts of electricity did him no harm, simply feeling like a sharp, yet warm snapping sensation against his strong armor. He cuffed at his head, forcing him to duck and cease his firing. Sari cried out happily and leaped onto Bumblebee, holding onto his shoulder. Starscream let out another sharp laugh and swiped at her as well. The Autobot smacked him away before he could get even close.

As much fun they were having with one another, they had failed to notice the warning signs dotting the sidewalk above them, nor did they see the holographic-light "do not cross" lines. Not thirty yards ahead, the machine-handled reconstruction for a bridge that had collapsed, courtesy of Blitzwing, was being repaired. Brightly colored construction drones rolled about, mingling with the police bots patrolling the area, upgraded weapons raised and glowing, ready to fire.

The three of them continued laughing and swiping at each other, until Sari called out,

"Hey!"

Both Bumblebee and Starscream quickly looked forward, taking notice. Bumblebee instantly deactivated his thrusters, and retracted his tires, driving his feet into the ground while Starscream messily landed, switching off his own turbines and leaving thick gouges in the concrete as he skidded. The trio's voices all shouted together as they continued closer and closer, until finally coming to a jerky stop in front of the array of police automatons. Their frightened yelling quickly ceased, and they were silent.

"Uh, oh…" Sari said quietly.

The machines hummed violently and powered their weapons.

As one, the three of them screamed out with alarm, and quickly turned to sprint back the way they had come. From behind, the drone's tires thrummed against the ground, making it vibrate as their recorded voices called,

"_Pursuing, pursuing-criminal, halt_."

They didn't dare look back, less they loose their balance while fleeing. Panting from the overheating of his vents and bellows, Starscream took a different tactic and leaped over the cheap wire fence onto the slum streets as the automaton police sped after them. The automatons shot past the graffiti covered buildings and occasional factory, having lost sight of their prey. Computing that they had gotten ahead, the drones quickly increased their velocity, and sped away down the road.

"…"

"Are they gone?"

"Yes."

Sari, Starscream and Bumblebee looked up at one another, studying their positions; Starscream wedged tightly into an alleyway, Bumblebee kneeling on his back, and Sari hiding behind Bumblebee's shoulder. After a moment's silence, Sari began to giggle; a small noise that quickly turned into laughter. Bumblebee's lips puckered slightly, and he joined her, laughing at the absurdity of their method to hide from the aroused police drones. Starscream listened to their mirth, wanting to knock the pesky Autobot from his back, but having another desire to join Sari and laugh. It was, after all, amusing how they had run from single-minded automatons. He snorted, shaking his head and baring his teeth in a lupine grin.

Bumblebee finally scooted off of Starscream's back, stepping onto the ground and straightening. With a bit of difficulty, Starscream followed, twisting his body until he jumped free. Sari raised a hand and slapped Bumblebee's upheld palm as he said,

"And that's why only the _Autobots_ can be the fastest."

Starscream crossed his arms, raising his head.

"I'm not convinced."

Bumblebee's optics widened.

"Not convinced!"

He quickly put Sari on the ground before marching up to him, swelling his small chest and attempting to maximize his ten foot stature.

"You just got your skid plate handed to by an Autobot and you're not convinced?!"

Starscream pointed at his forehead.

"I had better runs when I was _off-line_, Autobot."

He blinked before pointing up at him.

"Yeah? Well, that was nothing'! In fact, did you know that, I uh, graduated top of my class for agility?"

"I thought that was Prowl."

Starscream parted his lips in amused grin, while Bumblebee grew stiff. Glancing down, he harshly whispered,

"Ixnay on the Prowl-ay!"

Looking back up, he saw Starscream already walking away.

Bumblebee waved a hand.

"Hey! I'm not done with you!"

Running to catch up, Bumblebee matched the larger bot's pace and began rattling off "accomplishments" to him.

"And I'm practically considered a hero at Praxus! I won their drag race twenty stellar cycles running! Literally!"

"Of course you did."

"and that's not all! This one time at Iacon, I beat FireStar _and_MoonRacer during their annual marathon!"

"Oh, tell me more, Autobot. I think myself a fan now."

"Oh yeah? Well I'm just getting started! There's this one time at Energon city…"

Sari walked behind them, watching Starscream's amused smirk and Bumblebee's desperation to impress him.

_Maybe this can work._

* * *

*******

* * *

**A/N: I wanted to put in what a couple of the Cons were up to, hence the mostly meaningless conversation with BA and Waspinator, and between Lockdown and Swindle ^^**

**Edit: Sorry its late. High school is owning my life, and as of yesterday, I think I got the Swine. -.-**


	11. Put in more effort

**Transformers Animated belongs to Hasbro, I own nothing.**

* * *

"…and I practically _invented_ the Daytona 500!"

"mhm."

"Its true!"

"Sure."

He didn't like the little yellow runt, but Starscream certainly was amused by his lies.

"You're lying to give yourself a better image. That's a good trait to have." he smirked.

"what? No! its, uh, well, never mind." Bumblebee finished, rubbing his arm shyly and looking away.

Sari grinned up at both of them as they walked through the canal back to Sumdac Tower. She tilted her head back, looking at the richly colored blue sky and the mild sunbeams on her skin, pondering what they could do together.

"You know what we should do Bee?"

"Ditch the D-con?"

She rolled her eyes.

"No,"

Sari motioned at Starscream who walked several feet away from them, by himself.

"I think it might be a good idea to maybe show him around, try to teach him why he should help people instead of hurting them, and not breaking things."

He harshly whispered back,

"Yeah, sure, next we'll tell Megatron to lighten up and call off the war!"

She shrugged nonchalantly, saying, "That's not such a bad idea."

"Sari!" he loudly and harshly whispered.

She let a small laugh escape before repeating,

"But c'mon Bumblebee, it wouldn't hurt to try."

"Hmmmhh." he growled indecisively. "Fine, but if even raises a piston at a building I'm goin' for it."

Smiling, she trotted over to stand beside Starscream who remained detached. Opening her mouth to speak she didn't get to as he said,

"I heard you two all right. And I won't enjoy it, but I'll do it if it'll pay me favor with the Autobots later."

She smiled widely with triumph, looking over at Bumblebee who rolled his optics. Ignoring him, she motioned up at the magenta mech and began running ahead.

"Starscream, come on! You too, Bee!"

Pausing, she made a "peace" sign with her pointer and middle fingers, winking mischievously at him and saying, "if you can keep up."

Bumblebee gawked and slapped his forehead before turning accusingly at Starscream and exclaiming,

"Aw, see whatcha do?" he waved an arm impatiently at her. "Now she thinks I'm not the fastest."

Starscream smirked and continued after her, saying: "Because you aren't."

"I am too!"

"All right, fine, if you say so." he said, raising his hands in mock surrender.

Bumblebee perked up slightly.

"Really?"

"Oh of _course_…you're as fast as a cyber slug."

Bumblebee threw his arms in the air, shouting exasperatedly to the sky. Starscream smirked over his shoulder, walking forward until he stood beside Sari, where they waited together while Bumblebee stomped up them, teeth gritted and optics narrowed.

Grinning up at him, Sari said, "Ok, Starscream, today we're gonna give you a little 101 on why Autobots do what they do."

As she said this, she turned away from them and pumped her feet against the slanted wall of the canal, running over the edge and onto the sidewalk. The two bots followed after, curious as to where she was leading them. Hands on her hips, she eyed the narrow passage between buildings, looking at the people and cars going by.

"Ok, Bumblebee, I'll ride with you and Starscream can fly after us, and we'll meet at the park." she stepped forward, but stopped when Bumblebee interrupted her.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, the park? Hate to tell ya' this Sari but I don't everyone would be too happy if a giant Decepticon just "showed up"."

She grinned sneakily up at him. "I know, we're going let everyone get to know him,"

She elbowed Starscream's leg.

"let everyone see what a great guy you are."

The Seeker slowly turned to look at her.

"That's a funny joke." he said. She scratched her head thoughtfully.

"Well, ok, if it isn't the best idea, what should we do?" she scoffed.

He blinked at her, then tilted his head up, looking at the sky. His signature smirk crossed his face and he looked down at her with narrowed optics. Slightly perturbed, she stepped back, ready to flee if necessary.

"Why are you looking at me like that…?"

"Oh nothing, its just that I-!"

She gasped and Bumblebee shouted loudly as he swept her up in one clawed hand and began running in the opposite direction.

"-want to go for a flight!"

"Get back here, Decepti-creep!"

Blasts of yellow electricity shot past the two of them, though each shot usually missing its target. Starscream held her to his chest and laughed over his shoulder, calling back,

"I'll play with you later, Autobot!"

Leaping upwards, he shoved Sari into his cockpit mid-transformation, folding into his jet form before arching up and rocketing away into the smog-tinted blue sky.

A pleased shiver ran through Starscream's airborne frame. How wonderful it felt to be in the air again! To leave the annoying and amusing yellow bug behind, the thought of leaving grounded Autobots far behind him, it was a pleasing experience, one that he, of all bots, could experience and enjoy. From the top of his frame, Sari tapped on his control panel. He seldom acknowledged her, instead looking and inspecting the human's city below him, looking for anything that might peak his interest.

"Starscream? Hulloo? Anybody home?"

She strained against the double seatbelt wrapped around her to knock against his dashboard again. No answer. She sighed and leaned back in his grey fabricated seat, watching all of Detroit city drift by slowly and colorfully, locations like Sumdac Tower or Tyger Pax stadium standing out from its surroundings. Sari could understand his need for wanting to get up in his element, but to do it in such a brute way did send Bumblebee into a frenzy.

"Thank Primus we finally got away from him." Starscream finally spoke. She turned her eyes away from the view to look forward.

"Starscream…" she said warningly.

"He thinks I'm running, he's down there calling for backup!" he laughed, a rolling wriggle going through him.

"Starscream,"

"What?"

"Did you really have to take me up here? Did you _not _see him freaking out and attacking? How do you think Optimus is going to react when Bumblebee tells him? You'll be lucky to even hear about me when they lock you up…"

He hadn't considered that. Ever since enlistment his teammates had told him he never thought things through or what kind of repercussions his actions could have.

"Didn't consider it." he grumbled.

"A few more minutes and maybe we should head back, just leave it to me."

"Leave what to you?"

She grinned and closed her eyes, focusing on her goal. "Just lemme try something…"

Pushing her own signal outwards, she felt Starscream shiver beneath her as he felt it brush past him and then onwards. Concentrating and focusing on the location where they'd taken off from, she spotted Bumblebee's residual energy. Following it, she quickly picked up on his frequency and tapped into it, Bumblebee's consciousness reverberating in her mind.

_Sari? Is that you? How the heck did you get my frequency?_

She giggled out loud to herself.

_Y'know, just Prowl practice._

…_I'll think about how cool that is later, but right now I have just one little request._

_What?_

_Tell "Star-slag" to get his big ugly tailpipe down here right now so I can kick it!_

_Chill out, Bumblebee! He just wanted to go for a quick fly around the city, no biggie._

_It's a huge biggie! He coulda' bot-napped you, or taken you back to Megatron, or he-_

_I'm fine, Bumblebee, just take a cooling break for a second before you freak out._

_I'm not Freaking out!_

She mentally shook her head at his stubbornness and how uncooperative he was being.

_Relax, Bee. I'm okay, so you don't have to go telling Optimus or anything._

_Well, about that…_

_What?_

_I kinda, sorta, told him what happened already._

_Bumblebee!_

_Well what was I suppose to do?_

She growled exasperatedly to herself, sharply cutting off the connection and bitterly shaking her head.

"What a bolt-brain." she grumbled.

"Hm?" he grunted.

"We need to head back now, Bumblebee told on us."

Starscream let out a similar indignant grunt.

"hmph! Of course he did."

Beneath her, he angled his wings in a slant, drifting to the side and descending slightly lower before catching a warmer updraft of air to cart him in his new direction. Her gut tipped slightly in unison and slight vertigo made her sharpened vision waver slightly. Surprised, she sat up straighter and closed her eyes, pressing the heels of her hands against them, feeling slightly nauseous.

"hm?" he grunted curiously.

"Oh, nothing, just this new techno path thing has me thrown for a total loop. I always feel kinda sick if I use it."

"hmph. then maybe you shouldn't use it at all." he grunted in an obvious-statement sort of tone.

"I know, but its too cool to _not_ use, y'know?"

"Suit yourself." he said nonchalantly.

She pressed her hand on her cheek, leaning her elbow on the side of the seat and grinning lopsidedly at him.

"Why do you kinda sound like Blitzwing?"

A low rumbling growl made his frame vibrate around her. Apparently, someone as "high and glorious" as himself, did not like being compared to his multi-personality teammate. She giggled, shaking her head and staring out the canopy. Hearing a grating rumble from his engine, she looked forward as she heard him grumble to himself,

"Lousy ground-pounder, only figures he would tell, erg, I outta…"

The rest of it was lost in the passing of outside air and engine to turbine grumbling.

"Sorry, Star. But we are just kids." she said, shrugging.

"What was that?" he grunted.

"That me and Bumblebee are just kids."

"No, before that. You called me something."

"Star?"

"Yes, why do you call me that." he curtly asked.

"No reason, its just a nickname, hasn't anyone ever given you one?"

"The only thing I've ever been given, is a shot to the Spark during a fight." he said with bitter humor.

She placed a hand lazily on her chest, tipping her head at him.

"Ouch."

"Tch! Yeah, a big ouch." he snorted.

"Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Depends on what it is."

"Well, why _do _the Autobots and Decepticons fight all the time?"

"…A myriad of different reasons."

"Myriad?"

"Very many and very different." he defined. "Have you ever asked any other bot this question?"

"Not really, just came to mind."

Sumdac Tower loomed closer and she turned her attention back to the glass, watching the tips of his wings angle to the right and his tailfins in a similar direction. Through the seat she felt him sink lower to the ground. A stray thought drifted across her thoughts. She grabbed onto it, pondering and thinking onto it before a solid idea and objective.

He touched down behind the Tower, out of sight of the public eye and employees. While wondering how to get down from the cockpit of his jet-form, it was suddenly and unnaturally yanked open, eliciting a gasp from her and a surprised growl from him. She was sharply and suddenly lifted out of her seat, swept around and quickly set on the warmed pavement. Blinking to get her vision straight, she caught Optimus standing in a firm, irritated stance in front of her as Starscream transformed.

The irritated Seeker boldly pointed a sharp, angry claw at Optimus's equally angry face.

"Do NOT handle me like that, Autobot…and next time give her more forewarning before you just sweep down and swipe her out."

It wasn't asking, Starscream was _telling_ him. Sari flinched, expecting a fight as Optimus shoved his claw out of his face and pointed up at him.

"You're one to talk, Starscream, caring about her safety when you're taking off whenever you feel like it."

Growling back, Starscream marched past him towards the tower, intending to enter and return to his "quarters", not wanting to deal with the Prime's ranting. Shooting a glance down at her, he temporarily locked eyes with her, blazing red meeting liquid blue. She sat up straight and her back went rigid as a presence, his presence, tapped into her link,

_Sorry._

Starscream's near-unfathomable influence left her, and, for a moment, she felt somewhat hollowed and small after his deep, brooding conscious touched hers. A distance behind her, she heard him, with some difficulty, get himself through the doors. Sari rubbed her arm shyly, feeling even guiltier after he had apologized to her. Though he didn't say why, she had an idea it was for his action of taking off with her and not listening to her when she suggested they land.

"You all-right, Sari?"

Crossing her arms, she looked up at him, one eyebrow raised.

"I'm fine, but I don't think he is."

"He ignored an Autobot's orders, he _completely_ disregarded-"

"Well, ugh!" she scoffed exasperatedly, throwing her hands up for a moment in a annoyed gesture.

"Not everyone's perfect! I mean, did _you _listen to every little rule back on Cybertron when you were in school?"

As far as Optimus was concerned, she should've had no knowledge on what had happened back in his academy days, but her irritated statement rendered him at a loss for words. He only looked up when she had scoffed and begun to walk briskly towards the entrance, saying,

"Whatever, I'm gonna go find my dad, there's a couple things I want to talk to him about."

He rubbed the back of his helm thoughtfully, sighing and walking away muttering something about human teenagers.

"God, take a cooling break." She bitterly grunted, digging in her dress pocket to get the private access card key her dad had given her. She dragged her fingers through the interior, picking out a gum wrapper, a piece of red string, and what looked like an old movie ticket stub from who knows where. Rolling her eyes and becoming increasingly frustrated, she shoved her other hand into her left pocket, and, fortunately for her rising temper, pulled out the dark and light green colored card.

She shoved it into the metal scanner, where the password was decoded from the laminated surface and allowing the heavy door to unlock. Pushing it open, she stepped into the dimly lit hallway, closing the door behind her and exposing herself to the quiet of the thick, nearly soundproof walls. Pausing, she looked around for a moment before starting down the narrow corridor, her steps echoing curtly against either side of her.

This was not the usual path everyone else took; it was a private shortcut, meant for her, her dad, and close friends or associates of his. Each door either led to storage containing important files and prototypes or backup equipment for power failures, or, just a stairwell.

Coming to the last door on the left, she typed a four-number password on the keypad, and, when it opened, she stepped inside, took several steps forward and began to climb the thin metal stairs. The stairway was also inside a thin well, but was raised side-by-side, level-by-level, as was typical of office building stairwells. She still felt the expected pressure on her knees and ankles from going upwards, but her breath remained the same even pace the entire fifteen or so minutes it took for her to reach her desired door.

She casually opened and stepped through it, walking straight forward to the elevator as it began to open, revealing two, middle aged men in standard employee uniform, one of them pushing a metal cart stacked with cardboard boxes stamped with the Sumdac logo and what looked like a mailing address. The other man carried a similar box in one hand and a cup of instant coffee in a Styrofoam cup in the other.

"Did he really say that or are you just messing around with me?" the man with the cart asked.

"I swear I'm not kidding!" his friend said, laughing slightly at the disbelief of his friend. "He told me he'd seen it himself."

"And you believed some weird old janitor."

"Well, maybe its not completely made up, I mean, why does Sumdac have our morning hours changed so sharply? And those repairs on the entryway and those dents in the floor that, frankly, look like _footprints?_"

"So what you're telling me, is that you and your new friend the janitor, who also sneaks in whiskey on his breaks, believe that one of those "evil" robots is "living" here in Sumdac Tower?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying! Look at the evidence."

"Tch', Take a vacation, Ethan." the cart man eyed his friend's coffee cup. "or lay off that instant crap you take every morning."

"This stuff is pretty good, you don't know that, but! What I do know, is that at one point more decepti-whatevers are gonna nail this place if their friend doesn't come back."

"Allrigh', whatever you say."

The man named Ethan shook his head and sipped his drink and hoisted up the box to a more comfortable position on his arm, walking along with his friend as they continued down the passage. Sari, having listened to the entire conversation, shook her head as she walked into the elevator, biting her thumbnail. Starscream would just have to be more careful of where he placed himself at different times of day. If word got out that someone like him was staying here, everything would go to hell for the company.

Stepping out of the elevator onto, after a quick check, the Seventy-fourth floor, she walked a few paces down the curving passageway to a pair of sliding one-way glass doors. Pulling out her card-key she slipped in the identification card, which, after a minute, let the doors slide open.

An enormous lab, with even more stations sporadically placed all around, was being run by a multitude of engineers, scientists, mechanics, and aeronautical researchers. It was here that aerial technology and satellite information was relayed and catalogued, and the undergoing research of technological advancements in aircrafts. Just the place Sari wanted to see.

She slipped the card around her neck to let people know she was a visitor before walking towards her dad who had has back to her as he spoke with another man who seemed to be in his late forty's with dark grey eyes and thick dark-sandy hair that went just past his ears, with a white lab coat over his uniform and an ID card hanging from his neck like hers.

Stopping short of him, she waited until they finished speaking before clearing her throat.

"m-hm,"

He turned around, looking surprised before seeing who it was.

"Ah, Sari, there you are, I'd like you to meet Professor Daniel Witwicky, head of aeronautics here."

The professor grinned, wide and friendly, and held out his hand which she took and shook back in greeting.

"This must be the lovely Miss Sumdac I've heard so much about, great to finally meet you."

"Um, thanks, Professor." she responded, finding herself shy.

"Was there something you needed?" her dad asked her.

"Oh, I was just wondering if you still had tutor-bot with you."

"Hm, well if my memory serves correctly, it should still be in my lab room, why do you ask, Sari?"

She rubbed the back of her head thoughtfully.

"I don't know, its just, I already _know _everything about cars and stuff, I kinda was wondering if I could start learning more about, this."

She gestured around the room pointedly.

Her father opened his mouth to speak but the other professor quickly came forward with,

"Well then let me teach you a few things! I've been wanting an apprentice lately but I can't seem to find anyone. I tried getting my nephew to do it but he doesn't think he's ready. Shy young fellow, always calculates each step before he takes even one!"

He laughed, putting a hand on her shoulder and leading her away. She looked back at her dad who shrugged and made a "go on" gesture with his hand before walking off towards a group of men designing what appeared to be some sort of navigation system.

"Speaking of him, I think you and my nephew would get along swimmingly! How old are you, Sari? Fifteen?"

"Uhh, yeah?"

"Ah! Come, don't be so shy! Here, have a seat and we'll get started,"

He pulled out a clean white chair for her and scooted it in front of a digital slideshow screen set up on a thick tripod. She sat down in it as he pressed a green button on the hard drive, the device quietly beeping and blowing out a steady stream of warm air to cool itself. While waiting for the screen to load, she asked,

"Professor?"

"mmm, hmm?"

"Are you and my dad friends at all?"

"ha! Friends? We were roommates in college before his big robotics industry took off. Of course, I was more down to earth with my ideas I suppose you could say, I was more of a researcher and he wanted to just sit in his room and fiddle with the parts of an old blender."

Sari grinned, liking his sense of humor and how he seemed to be supportive of her father rather than envious like most competitors and co-workers.

"Well then I guess blenders really pay off." she grinned, tapping her thin thoughtfully and making a point to look around the room. After composing himself from laughing, he walked forward to stand next to the screen.

"and by the way, is this book yours by any chance? Your dad said he found it in your room."

He handed her the familiar copy of aerial technology book, the one that Blitzwing had laughed at.

"Uh, yeah its mine, why?"

"Why? Ha! Because it's a load of crap, that's why!"

He tossed it on the desk with a _thump_.

_Great, my money wasted on some stupid vendor._

She bitterly thought to herself.

"Well anyway," he began, "What do ya' want to learn first?"

"Well, I, uhm…"

"We'll just do basics shall we? Aerial technology, is, in my opinion, the most fascinating. To be able to get thousands of pounds of solid steel off the ground, let alone be able to fly it is incredible!"

He exclaimed, flicking to a photo of a turbine in its smooth iron cylinder casing, the single propeller inside of it being thick metal, some sort of aluminum if she believed correctly.

"Instead of using multiple propellers, we tend to use one large one. It helps with balance during liftoff, and it even lets some of our smaller crafts hover for short periods of time…"

For the next hour or so, Sari began to let herself drift through Professor Witwicky's teachings and tips and, on occasion, humorous stories of his younger days in college when he worked with her dad or helped one another assignments or final exams. She was grateful that despite his position, he had put aside time for her just to fill some request of hers to learn about something that she could have easily learned from the Seeker dozens of levels below their feet.

Prowl, behaving like his name, stalked silently through the cold corridors of Sumdac tower after hours. From where he had been outside, the sun seemed about an hour or so from setting.

Jazz had told him how crazy an idea it was to do what he intended to do, but he was curious with the results that might come of it. One of Yoketron's many philosophies had been to build friendships if they did not yet exist, no matter how rough the foundation may be. Though, in Prowl's case, it was more like landmine covered foundation. Any false step could backfire enormously if he didn't do things right. But, as his training had taught him, it was to expect nothing and anticipate everything.

Sneaking up quietly to Starscream's door, he unlocked it, feeling his Spark thrum with nervousness. The door slid open without any opposing force on the opposite side, and Prowl stepped forward.

The Seeker was leaning his back against the wall, thick black forearms crossed behind his head and his red optics reduced to thin red slits on his sharp grey face. Even in stasis he had an irritated, almost sneering look on his face. Before he could even take a step forward to get a better look at his enemy turned willing prisoner, he opened his mouth and said,

"Great excuse of a ninja you are. I could practically smell you coming up the hall, Autobot." He flicked open one ruby optic to stare at his black and gold enemy.

Prowl relaxed and let his frame loosen before replying, "I'm not here to argue with you, Starscream. I had an idea that could possibly be of some use to you."

A minute passed, and Starscream blinked at him before shuttering his optics again.

"Well then what is it."

"If you want to truly be let out of here, then I have a few meditative lessons I could teach you to help you control your temper."

"Hmph, what temper? I only say things I mean."

"Even if they're disrespectful?"

"I don't tell you how to live your life."

Prowl sighed and put a hand against his face, beginning to reconsider even stepping foot down in his prison.

"He's not SO bad to work with, Prowl. And maybe we could take him down to Dinobot island or something, you could train him like you trained Bulkhead that one time."

Both bots turned to see Sari standing in the doorway, grinning lopsidedly at the two of them. Starscream blinked at her in acknowledgement, seeming relieved to have her back him up.

Prowl said, "Training a clumsy Autobot is much more different than training a temperamental Decepticon."

"Well with Bulkhead there's not really a difference, especially when it comes to property damage."

Starscream let a quiet snicker escape as Sari giggled to herself at her own joke.

"So," she began. "Should we get going before it gets dark?"

"Well yes I suppose we should-"

"Fine." Starscream curtly said, standing up and striding past the two of them.

Sari grinned up at Prowl who only looked annoyed and regretful of his decision of offering to help. Closing the door and following after the long-legged flier, Sari said quietly to Prowl,

"thanks for doing this, Prowl. I know it doesn't really seem like it, but he's really happy to be let out."

"I don't need his gratitude, I need his cooperation." he said professionally.

"Yeah, yeah," she waved him off, jogging ahead to match Starscream's pace. Prowl lengthened his own stride to keep up with the pair as they neared the exit and the bright golden sunlight filtering through the windows.

Just missing the caution tape that had been set up, Starscream squeezed himself through the entryway, stepping out and looking around warily for human stragglers.

"Right then, I suppose you know the way to Dinobot island?" Prowl asked. The seeker stared ahead with no regard towards his question.

"All right then, shall we?" the ninja-bot transformed beside her, and she stepped forward to get on, but before she could, Starscream sharply held out his hand to her, blocking her from reaching Prowl.

"Ride with me?"

She gave a quick glance at Prowl's silent bike form before leaping nimbly onto his clawed palm.

"You're so jealous," she grinned, settling on his shoulder. He turned around and stepped forward.

"Of what?"

"Whenever I'm with them you get all possessive."

"Hmph! I do not. Flying is much better than rolling on the ground in a straight line."

"With occasional turns."

"yeah, whatever, same difference.

Behind them, Prowl gritted his teeth.

"Okay you got me out here now what're we going to do."

"Teach you to meditate, calm your nerves."

"Hmmf."

Snorted the bot, swiping away the falling, slightly browned leaves away from his face on the once inhabited island they now stood on. Now all it had for company were the animals and, for the moment, one human and two machines. Said human sat on the mulched earth beneath the shadow casting trees, watching the two of them carefully.

Prowl then sat himself down, sinking a layer of soil beneath him before motioning for Starscream to join him on the ground. He stared for a moment before kneeling and then dropping himself onto the ground, sending nearby sparrows and robins fluttering for cover and making Sari press her palm onto the ground for balance as the ground trembled sharply. He then made a point of sliding away from the black and gold bot who sat motionless in his own spot.

"I assume you know how to-"

"Yeah yeah lets do this." he interrupted, laying his palms flat against the ground and closing his optics. Slightly perturbed at being interrupted, Prowl took up a more formal position, his visor dimming.

"Let all of your stress and bad thoughts drain from your mind…and into the ground…"

Starscream flicked open one sparkling red optic and fixed it on Sari.

"We'll be here all lunar cycle." he smirked. She grinned back, and he closed his eye.

The three of them grew silent after that, so quiet she thought she might drift asleep from where she sat as the sun continued its hazy descent towards the horizon, though she knew Prowl could probably sit the way he was for hours without stirring. Even the normally brash, animalistic Decepticon had visibly relaxed his dark magenta frame, and now a low hum steadily issued from his broad chest plates, following a what sounded like a strange, subtle melody that only strengthened her wish of dozing.

_Maybe for a few minutes…_

_But then who will keep me company? Humans need oh so much rest, it annoys me._

The surge of adrenaline that rushed through her veins snapped her awake, making her grip handfuls of soil as she tightly clenched her hands and sat upright with such suddenness she grew dizzy for a moment before staring straight up the culprit. He stared lazily back at her with a half-lidded, dimmed red optic.

_Surprised?_

_Yeah…_

She reached out with her own consciousness tentatively, feeling his own darker, mystery laden, and brooding mindscape. Just brushing it against it in the lightest way made her realize that even if she sat where she was for the century, she wouldn't have even so much as pricked the vastness nor fully understand the dark domain of his. It was amazing and new, a small thrill of excitement rushed through her, simply through the sheer excitement of the discovery.

_Does my alien mind peak your interest, earthling?_

She giggled aloud to that.

_Oh yes what an amazing find you are. _

His humming increased for a moment with suppressed mirth.

_What does my mind feel like?_

_Comfortable and not annoying…your mind is filled with light._

_That's nice. Can't say the same thing for you._

_No, you can't say that now can you?_

_Mm. anyway, what do you think of all this?_

_I appreciate their efforts though I think I'd prefer it if they didn't try._

_Maybe you need to get on the right track with Bumblebee. Make an effort to be nicer to him, he's still just a kid, if he's mad he'll get over it pretty quickly if you try hard enough._

_Hmph. _

_I mean it, you. Try harder. Starting tomorrow. You're gonna try harder. We'll go back out with him and you should try to, uh, reciprocate what they're doing for you._

_You're being quite high and mighty for a human being facing down someone like me._

_I'm inside your mind. I can already feel you'll do it._

_Hah! _

* * *

_A;N) Yes, well ,first off, my sincerest and deepest apologies to you all, even though I don't deserve them, I know. My computer has suffered terrible viruses since I last wrote all those months ago, killing my writer's flow and muse. And anything I came up with felt like boring, uneventful fillers but I began writing this over the summer and I hope to continue and finish it. I know I will, now that I've started, I may go away for some time, but I never leave anything unfinished._

_Much love, _

_Bumbles217 _


	12. If we made it work

**Ehh...***looks around* **Are you all going to kill me? o.0 Well I would If I were a reader! Good god has it really been a year and a half? Ugh, long story guys, I'm sorry. For a time I couldn't think of what to put next so I just started to forget about it, but reviews and alerts kept coming in reminding me that it was there, but even during that time I couldn't come up with anything good to write, so I didn't. Then Dark of the Moon came out, along with Transformers Prime (Absolutely fabulous and amazing by the way) and Transformers G1 reruns and my old love for the stuff came back and I went to work. After almost two years. Finally. :/ But hey! At least I came back, I mean, look at the author's note at the bottom from last chapter; "I never leave anything unfinished," See? ^.^"" Ok I'll shut up now .**

Hey! You know all of you guys are so awesome and supportive but a quick shout-out to _FrostedPurpleIrises91._ Girl, I got your review, and I kept it to remind me of this right here, so thank you, and, by the way, _Transcedental Mysteries_? Great story, I check it for updates all the time, great work, and thank you everyone else reading this! :)

**Transformers Animated belongs to Hasbro, I own nothing.**

* * *

"Well why do I gotta' go?"

"'Cause!" Bumblebee jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "You're the only one who's on my side anymore."

Sari swung her legs back and forth over the edge of Starscream's shoulder plate, crossing her arms.

"What're you talking about? I am on your side," She winked.

The yellow bot planted his hands on his hips and looked at them bitterly.

"Uh-huh, try saying that when you're _not_ sitting on a Decepticon."

"Hmph."

Sari looked up at Starscream who in turn looked up at the ceiling, uninterested in Bumblebee's complaint. It was mid-morning of the following day that he, Sari and Prowl had gone to the vacated Dinobot island to practice meditation. When the sun had finally set, Prowl declared the session both over and successful…only to find his companions dozing side by side. He'd been so offended that'd he'd left both of them there as he headed back to Sumdac tower. It'd been nearly 2:00 AM when Starscream had awoken to the sound of angry buzzing in his audio. He'd opened up the link and then listened to Optimus and Ratchet's ranting messages.

The flight back into the city was quick and quiet, and while Sari spent the remainder of the night in her bedroom, Starscream spent the rest of his night in his cell with cuffs and a thick metal band around his mouth to keep him quiet. It hadn't been a very pleasant evening. Now, He, Sari and Bumblebee had met up with Bulkhead at their old base in the assembly factory before their morning patrol.

Sari gave the heavyset bot a pleading grin.

"C'mon Bulkhead, when was the last time we hung out together?"

"It was before _that_ happened," He quietly huffed, shooting a glance at the Con.

"Pleeease?" She begged, flashing him a bright-eyed look.

"Mmf, okay," he grunted. "but only if you listen to us this time!"

Bumblebee crossed his arms arrogantly. "Yeah, listen to the real bots who run this town!"

Sensing he'd already tuned out from their chatter, she clenched her hand on the edge of his collar, regaining his attention as she said,

"Ok cool, lets get going on that patrol then,"

He blinked and began to leave, only to have Sari swiped off of his shoulder by Bumblebee who, holding the girl in his arms, stuck his dull grey glossa out at the Seeker and then walked out of the plant. Bulkhead marched past him, transforming in the doorway and taking off. He scoffed and took his time approaching the exit even as Bumblebee spoke snippily into his comm-link;

"_C'mon then, Screamy! We're gonna show you how to do a real patrol,"_

"…_Screamy?"_

For the next thirty minutes, they drove. Sari had taken her usual place in Bumblebee's passenger seat, keeping track of everything going on outside as they coasted along the street, looking for any signs of disturbance as they usually did. A few hundred feet above them, Starscream glided on warm but acrid city oxygen, flicking the directional rudders in the centers of his wings, catching any and every breeze that drifted his way. It was very easy to stay afloat on a planet with such a lighter level of gravity then he had back home. It'd bothered him when he'd arrived, but eventually he'd grown to like it, realizing he could travel faster this way.

It felt nice to have the level of freedom he had now with the Autobots, and he truly was trying to make an effort of understanding why they did what they did…but patrolling was pointless and annoying, and an easy way to waste fuel and time. If humans wanted to cause trouble amongst themselves then they could let their own law enforcement handle it.

"_Hey,"_

"_Mm?"_

"_I think we might actually have a problem down here, can you come down here and help us?"_

Starscream ended the connection with her as he descended, and Sari took his silence as a positive answer. Bumblebee swung open the door for and she stepped out onto the pavement where several policemen had already arrived. She closed the door behind her and looked around the train station, which was surprisingly empty despite the midmorning hour. Among the officers and what looked to be two or three employees, she recognized Fanzone looking down the tracks with his arms crossed. She listened to Bumblebee and Bulkhead transform behind her as she approached him.

"Hey , whats up?" She casually greeted.

He did a bit of a double take at her still not used to her new adult self before answering,

"Somethin' wrong with the tracks, that dumb conducter bot had a split wire about ten minutes ago and now we're trying to figure out how to fix the stupid thing before the eleven o'clock ride comes in."

She blinked and looked down the tracks that wound a mile down the road and disappeared around the wide block of Roosevelt Street. She looked over her shoulder at her two friends who looked at her and then each other. They must've all been thinking the same thing; were they really necessary?

"Do you need any help with that?"

"Nope, not this time, more robots is all I need righ' now." He gestured at the three crewmen inside the ticket booth, working on the conductor bot whose chassis was flipped open and being operated on. "All we need here is good old fashioned man-power to get that dumb thing to reboot."

She began to nod, knowing how he felt towards machines, when Bumblebee scooted up beside them and transformed, rotating his wrist and drawing his stinger.

"Aah that's no way to get it started, I'll show ya' a real electric charge,"

He strode towards the booth, and the workers immediately but uncertainly stepped out of his way as he knelt and shoved his arm inside. Bulkhead changed into his alt mode even as Sari stepped forward.

"Hey, uh, Bumblebee.." She began, feeling a bit nervous.

"C'mon, Bumblebee just let them take care of it, they know what they're doing,"

The tip of his weapon glowed warningly. "Oh, and I don't? Watch and learn,"

He shoved his fist into the bot's head, and the result was a screech of metal and a instant fountain of dull yellow sparks. With his hand now smoking and the tracks crackling with pent up electricity, Bumblebee stumbled out of the kiosk, his blue optics round with shock.

"Eh," He started. "I think I kinda overdid it," He stumbled back towards them, startled and frazzled.

"You think?" Sari crossed her arms impatiently.

"Captain! 728 coming in!"

The three of them turned at the sound of an officer shouting to Fanzone, who then waved back and called,

"Get the power grid on the phone, tell 'em to shut it down, everyone else move outta the way!"

As everyone else began to move, Starscream flew lower and calmly asked,

"_Did the runt solve the problem?"_

"_Uh," _Sari and the others walked briskly away from the station, looking back east and waiting for the train to come. _"Not really,"_

"_What a surprise! The Autobot did something wrong,"_

"_Starscream.." _She began, starting to get impatient.

An ugly screeching of steel grew abruptly into the air as the express came into view, rolling closer to its destination. Bulkhead and Bumblebee stood near, ready to catch the possibly doomed vehicle. The people onboard by then, had noticed the enormous robots standing near the station, the officers, and above all, the increasing speed of their car. Sari surpressed a shiver of anxiety when she saw their expressions, and she looked away quickly when the front bumper of the train met the two bot's tensed and waiting hands.

They both cried out with surprise as the train screeched almost painfully, pulling the two bots along with it despite their strength. They dug their feet into the ground, ripping up dull pavement and sending sparks and dust all around. At this point, Sari could hear the people screaming. A surge of adrenalin pulsed through her and, finally frightened into action, she leaped past the patrol cars and began to run back towards her friends, not knowing what to do but still desperate. She came closer, and Bumblebee's feet began to slip from their place on the ground, the very tires on his heels becoming his undoing as they prevented him from getting a solid grip.

"Aah-!

"Hold on, Bee, I'm coming! Just-!"

A roar of jet engines and hot air forced her back as Starscream swept by, transforming and digging his own feet into the pavement and catching the tail of the train as he skidded by. He pressed his claws into the hide of the machine, producing a horrible noise as his larger size and strength ground the vehicle to a halt. For a moment, all was quiet, then the hiss of smoke came from the sides of the train, the perplexed voices of the passengers, and the exclamations of officers. After a slightly awkward and rather quiet pause, Starscream let go and stepped back, seeming almost surprised at his own actions, then rubbing his palms together casually and checking the tips of his talons as if nothing had occurred. Before they could approach, Starscream eyed the tracks and the remaining slivers of white and purple electricity that flitted out and along the metal. Something odd…but he couldn't quite say. Bulkhead and Bumblebee then warily approached him, shocked at his action as much as the humans were. Sari stood up straight and came towards them as well, surprised and, if anything, a bit giddy; if this got out to the public…the repercussions could be amazing for them.

Finally acknowledging their stares, Starscream looked at all three of them for a moment.

"What? What are you all gawking at? I just don't want to be kept out here any longer than you. I won't waste my time cleaning up after a dumb little Autobot's mess."

He pointed a claw at Bumblebee, who then shyly looked away. Sari grinned brightly and patted Starscream on the leg. He looked down, their eyes meeting and, if possible, she smiled wider, though he lifted an optic ridge at her.

"What are you grinning at?"

"What am I grinning about? You saved those people, Starscream!"

"Just wait 'till boss-bot hears about this, he'll blow a circuit!" Bulkhead agreed.

Even as they spoke, the people who were being evacuated off the express were muttering amongst themselves, not sure what to think of the fact that a Decepticon had rescued them, or the sight of seeing it with two Autobots and a teenage girl.

Starscream stepped back from the others, beginning to feel a bit antsy as they all stared at him and began to take photos. Even news cameras began to arrive on the scene, buzzing around and asking questions from their remote handlers.

"Hmph, I'm outta' here," he grunted, flicking away a camera-bot.

He transformed and shot off, leaving all the spectators more confused than before.

"Well what th' heck was that all about? You guys got a _Decepticon _with ya' now?"

Bumblebee and Bulkhead just nodded at Fanzone's question, it was already awkward enough sharing a base with the con. Sari, however, smiled at him, cocking her head and planting a fist on her hip.

"We do now, pretty cool huh?"

"Pretty cool? Ha! More like a bigger stack of paperwork fer' me, look at this mess!"

The teen shrugged and gave him an innocent smile. "Well its one last Decepticon to worry about!"

"Yeah, yeah, now who d'ya think is gonna clean up this mess, huh?" He waved an arm at the steaming wreck.

"Uhh-would you look at the time! We should really be going, its gonna get dark soon!"

Bumblebee quickly scooped Sari up as he quickly gave the poor excuse, transforming and depositing her in his back seat, the bots quickly transformed, taking off before the captain could stop them.

"I'll be putting this on yer' tab! Stupid machines…and its only ten in the morning."

"…_He did what?"_

"_Yeah, I didn't believe it either, Prime,"_

"_Isn't this great!" _

Sari broke in on their frequency, too excited to wait.

"_I wouldn't call a train accident very exciting, Sari."_

She frowned at Optimus's bitter response. She knew just as much as any bot that he hated to talk about the Seeker, but she'd hoped that Starscream's action might've made him think a little clearer.

"_I think its weird too, boss-bot, but he did stop that thing before it turned us into scrap."_

"_Yeah, Optimus! Just wait until tomorrow when the papers come out, Starscream'll be all over the front page!"_

"_Then the rest of the humans will know that a Decepticon is in our ranks, and how exciting will that be?" _He scolded.

Sari shrank away from the sharp comment, and cut her link to him. Bulkhead and Bumblebee quickly finished their own conversations, and the three of them were quiet. From above, the faint and continuous roaring of jet engines sounded. After a mile of silence, Sari rolled her shoulders and spoke up,

"I don't get why he's being so stubborn, you'd think he'd be happy about it, y'know?"

"Well it was a _Decepticon_ who did it,"

"Bee.." She warned.

"I had everything under control! Really!" He insisted.

"It was, uh, kinda nice that he helped though," Bulkhead sheepishly added, broadcasting his voice through Bumblebee's radio.

"Ugh! Doesn't anyone listen to me anymore!" The yellow bot exclaimed, frustrated.

"If its any consolation, Autobot, _I've_ certainly been listening," Starscream broke through their frequencies, mocking him. Bumblebee gave a sharp cry of frustration, speeding up along the road even as Sari, Starscream and even Bulkhead managed to chuckle at his untimely joke.

Optimus let go of his helm, disconnecting with Sari and the other bots after eavesdropping. He screwed his optics shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. He sighed and leaned up on Teletraan's console. Ratchet glanced up from his place on the floor, his servos messing with the control center's inner wiring. It'd been giving off strange sounds of static just a short while ago. He went back to work, but asked,

"Any word from th' kids there, Prime?"

"Eh.."

"From what I just heard that crazy Seeker just stopped a train from exploding," He gave the younger bot what looked like a small smirk. "That's some news."

"Ugh, what am I going to do, Ratchet?"

The medibot pulled back from the console and closed the grate he'd been working in.

"How long are ya' gonna carry out this grudge, Prime? You ever tried talking? If Sari can, then you can too. It'll set a good example for all the other bots around here,"

"You've gotta be joking, Ratchet. Don't you ever think about what he did?"

"Or don't listen to me!" He grunted, waving a hand over his shoulder as he began to leave. Arcee stood a bit shyly in the doorway, watching them both carefully. He approached her and they transformed together, Arcee being the one to hurry up and drive out of sight due to the uncomfortable tension. Before driving after her, Ratchet revved his engine and grunted,

"And they say I'm the one stuck in the past!"

He sped forward and around the edge of Sumdac tower, leaving Optimus conflicted to say the least.

"Maybe its not the worst idea in the world, Optimus."

"What?"

Rodimus stood across the way, he and his team, unnoticed until now.

"You don't think I should give him a chance…do you?"

The red bot crossed his arms and tapped his chin carefully. "Well, granted he's not the softest spark to get along with, but, if I recall an old teacher of ours told us the value of second chances…"

Brawn and Red Alert exchanged looks, and Hotshot snorted, rolling his optics at the statement. He hadn't been trained as a diplomatic Prime of course, but he felt as much the same as Bumblebee did when it came to the subject of Starscream. Rodimus waved a hand and turned away back to his team, saying,

"Just something to process about…Not to mention the intel we could squeeze out of him…" He waved a hand absently, teasingly.

Optimus crossed his arms and tapped his foot for a moment before answering,

"…I know he did, Rodimus. And I know how it could change the war if Starscream had a change of Spark, but.." He stopped, at a bit of a loss for more words. He squirmed slightly under the combined stare of Elite guardsmen, but finally continued on to say, "But I do know how good it would be for the team to have him on ours," He finished a bit awkwardly, not wanting to sound too high and mighty in front of such conditioned warriors.

Rodimus grinned and turned back around to face him, and gave him a rough pat on his shoulder. Optimus, now a bit shy, avoided the other's looks.

"Spoken like a true captain, Captain!" He teased.

* * *

"Errghh, this is getting boring, Autobots! We've scanned this cursed city for too long!"

"Yeesh! Take a chill, Starscream, not everyone can _fly_ y'know." The yellow bot stretched his words sarcastically, making the physical act seem like a privilege.

Sari adjusted her fist against her cheek. "Ah, c'mon, Bee its been three_ hours_. Can't we go home now?" she groaned.

"She's kinda got a point, Bumblebee, we've been goin' in circles for megacycles!" Bulkhead complained.

"Yeah yeah I hear ya', sheesh stop whining-hey, what's that?"

Both bots coasted to a stop and changed to their bipedal mode and stepped forward a bit awkwardly when they beheld the jet twins standing in the road, brightly grinning as always. Starscream, upon seeing the wingless fliers, descended sharply, transforming just a few yards above the ground.

"Oh if it isn't the fabulous fighter flies," He openly teased after landing behind them.

"Good morning bigger pink-colored bot!" Jetfire greeted happily, being one of the few Autobots not perturbed by his appearance.

He glared down at them and curled his lip. "Its not, _pink,_ Autobot."

Sari quickly asked before an argument could occur, "What're you guys doing out here?"

"Boss-bot Sentinel Prime want us to be following you and big no-good decepticon bot, right brother?"

"Yes, boss-bot be thinking that big bad decepticon bot is no good, rusted scrap and slag heap!"

"Ah brother, you be remembering what boss-bot said!" Jetstorm beamed, clapping him on the shoulder. Jetfire grinned back and said,

"I am doing good job with "following orders", no brother?"

"Yes brother, very good!"

"Oh shut up," Starscream growled, pushing in between them. "And you can tell that fat-faced ground-pounder he can take his "orders" and shove them right back up his-"

"Starscream!" Sari cut him off, giving him a look and nodding at the twins, hinting to him how literal they were and that they were sure to report back his exact words.

"Ah," He grunted, waving a hand. "Whatever. Do as you please, just keep me out of it."

He began to tense up in preparation of take-off, but Sari looked from him to the twins and hurried to his side.

"Whoa, hey!" He reluctantly gave her his attention. She grinned over her shoulder at the twins and said, "Since you guys are here, maybe you could go with him, maybe he can teach ya' a thing or two."

Starscream's expression slowly fell. "…You're serious?" He deadpanned, lifting an optic ridge.

She leaned closer to him and said in a slightly quieter voice, "C'mon, Starscream, work with me here! We're almost cool with Prime, this could be your chance to get through to the other bots,"

Bulkhead stepped forward as well to give his opinion, saying, "C'mon, Starscream, why dontcha' show 'em your moves!" He tried with a slight grin, which quickly dropped when said decepticon stared back at him, straight faced.

Bumblebee strode up and gave the Seeker a small punch in the arm. "That is if you can handle it, Starscream, these guys are a bit more up and coming than you are, if ya' know what I mean?" Bumblebee smirked at him.

Starscream knew he was outnumbered, and, if possible, his sneer grew, and he clenched and unclenched his fist as he considered. Finally, he planted a hand on both Bulkhead and Bumblebee's chests and pushed them aside.

"If you two stop demeaning me and giving me horrible nicknames, then I'll go!" He said a bit snappishly.

He turned and briskly began walking back down the road, picking up his pace quickly as he jumped, transformed, and was off in a rush of heated, shimmering air. Sari and the others coughed but the jet twins, obviously unable to understand sarcasm, smiled at each other and took off running themselves, leaping upward and shifting into their alt modes and hurrying after the other jet.

"Whoo, glad they're gone! Lets scram before they get back," Bumblebee waved a hand, transforming and facing the other way. Sari quickly ran over before he could leave, opening his door and grabbing his wheel.

"Hold on there, Bee. Lets see if we can catch 'em, that is if you can handle it, Starscream's speed is a little more up-and-coming, if ya' know what I mean?" She mocked him.

"Wha-! Is that, _right?_ Well hop in and _I'll _show you who's up and coming!"

She smiled and slid sideways into the seat even as he shut the door and slammed on the accelerator, burning the rubber on his tires as he raced after the escaping planes.

Starscream rose higher and flipped around several times, feeling uncomfortable as the two younger bots followed him. He balked when they copied his motion, flipping around several times, yet staying in perfect formation. He bristled and aligned himself diagonally, soaring above city limits, commercial flights, and eventually cloud banks. Still they followed. Irked, he abruptly turned himself perpendicularly to the earth, letting himself fall for a few hundred feet.

"Stop following me, Autobots!" He snapped.

"But boss-bot Sentinel Prime tell us to follow bigger not-pink bot!"

"Mmm, little red-head organic girl told us to learn thing or two from bigger bot, brother, but I learn nothing!" Jetfire arched upward and back down slightly, mimicking a shrug.

"Oh yes brother, I agree, bigger-bot knows nothing-!"

The twins, taken by surprise, quickly separated as a hail of bullets came down upon them from higher up as Starscream open fired on them. He ceased his attack only for a moment to gain more altitude.

"You pathetic little scraps think _I_ know nothing? Then consider this your first lesson: Defend yourself!"

He restarted his assault, angling both null rays outward and catching both bots with sharp stings of energy.

Jetfire twisted out of the way, grunting from the sudden pull of gravity as he evaded another attack. "Erg, this is not what I was having in mind, brother!"

"Concentrate! How would you defend yourself in the event of an aerial assault from Decepticon forces?"

Twisting out of the way of a sidewinder missile that detonated just a few yards behind, Jetstorm also began to out-maneuver the larger jet. "I think this is being "a thing or two", brother!"

Starscream shot out of a thick fog bank, forcing Jetfire down as he shot waves of null-ray fire onto his thrusters. "Pay attention! What are you going to do?"

The orange twin suddenly forced himself up, nearly knocking Starscream out of the air as he arched up out of his range. Calling out to his brother, he said,

"We do fancy flying now, right brother?"

Jetstorm appeared beside him from the mist. "Yes brother, _very_ fancy flying!"

Starscream watched them carefully in his jet mode, gliding from side to side as he waited to see what they would do. The twins, while still in their own plane modes, began to spark and shine at the seams as they twisted rapidly around the other, quickly growing until speed until they slammed into each other in a sharp burst of white light. Starscream twitched his wings with curiosity and a slight sense of surprise at the sight of a much larger plane, now roughly his size, with one half the various blues of the one twin, and the other half being differing colors of orange and red. As strange as the transformation was, the Seeker snorted and called out to them,

"I don't care what you look like, Autobots! Appearances won't save you from being off-lined on the battlefield, now defend yourselves-!"

He dived, cutting off his own verbal attack as a torrent of vibrant white and orange-tinged fire blazed across his tailfins. Taken aback for a moment by the attack, he doubled back around, trying to fly above the combined bots. They seemed to sense his objective however, rising up with him and not allowing him the chance. Starscream grunted and swung the guns on his undercarriage at ninety degrees, open firing. The twins shot upward and to the side, slamming into the elder bot and forcing him reposition himself and begin a new tactic. Bright flames flickered in the corner of his sight, and he felt the tips of his wing struts begin to grow hot. Had he been in his bipedal mode, Starscream would've smiled. It was about time he got some light exercise in.

* * *

"This is _beyond _criminal, Optimus, next you'll be asking us to wear Decepticon bumper stickers."

"Relax, Sentinel," Optimus rolled his optics and lifted his helm upward, watching the sky and waiting for the jets to appear. They stood together on the front roundabout driveway of the tower, Sentinel waiting for his cadets and Optimus waiting for his prisoner.

"Don't you ever even think about how _your _actions will affect the rest of this team? I'm not about to let you ruin it any more than you already have just so you can make a point,"

Optimus looked the other way, lowering the volume of his audio receptors.

"_Hypocrite,"_

The Prime felt relieved when the warbling whine of turbines broke the airspace above them. Sentinel sharply looked up as the jet-twins dropped out of the sky, descending much more rapidly than probably intended, alighting and stumbling awkwardly as they attempted, and failed, to stick their landings. The two older bots were taken aback by the sight of them; thin sharp dents with round punctures at their bases, auburn blotches along their shoulders and legs suggested earlier burns or places where shots fired had met their target.

Optimus jerked his head back up and Sentinel snapped his mask into place and drew his lance as Starscream sharply descended, transforming several yards above the ground and slamming his stabilizing servos into the pavement. He stood up straighter and folded his arms, smirking as he looked from the two younger jets and back to the shocked expressions of the Primes. Sentinel stepped forward with his shield before him, furious but seeming a bit hesitant to approach the Seeker directly.

"I'll have you melted down on-line for what you did, Decepticon!"

Starscream blinked and scratched at one of the blast marks on his upper arm plating. Optimus noticed that, although not as badly as the twins, Starscream had his own share of slight damages; various burns, thin white scratches on his legs, and other minor injuries. In all, he seemed pleased with himself, if not smug.

"Ahh, little red-head organic girl being right about "thing or two" brother?"

"Yes, brother, we learn a lot about "thing or two" from bigger jet-bot!"

Starscream's expression grew more conceited and the two Autobots gaped at the twins as they looked at each other and spoke, before getting to their feet. Despite their physical condition, their optics were bright and they spoke happily.

"Uhh," Starscream stared at Sentinel expectantly. "Um, fall in cadets! Full status report!"

The twins quickly hurried to him and stood straight, saluting him as they said, if not a bit excitedly,

"Decepticon bot Starscream is not being threatening, Sentinel Prime sir!" Said Jetstorm, with Jetfire adding, "Jet-bot Starscream is being good teacher-bot, we be learning many thing from him!" He paused to turn his head and blow out a small flame that had suddenly sparked on his shoulder from a thin, exposed cord on the joint of his shoulder. Starscream tossed his head and leaned forward, bearing down on the rude bot.

"You were saying?"

Sentinel pressed the tip of his weapon up against Starscream's thick collar guard. "You, you," he stuttered, too angry if not too confused to make out a statement. Optimus stepped in between them and held his hands up beseechingly.

"Stand down, Starscream," He held his stance and looked over his shoulder at the bristling Prime. "I'll take it from here, Sentinel. Why don't you take Jetfire and Jetstorm up to Ratchet and he'll have a look at them."

Sentine grabbed the twins and began pushing the beaming couple forward, leering at the Seeker.

"Just be back by nightfall, Optimus. I'll expect the worst if you're gone any longer with _that," _He pointed at the larger jet with disgust.

Optimus managed a wry grin. "I appreciate the concern, Sentinel." As he transformed, he decided he'd picked the better of two evils; consulting with Starscream or ticking Sentinel off. Starscream grinned wolfishy at the Prime before kicking his stabilizing servos up and rocketing away, closely following Optimus.

No sooner than they had left, Sari, Bumblebee and Bulkhead pulledd in, transforming and stretching their stiff frames. Sari reached upward as far as she could, both hearing and feeling her joints and knuckles pop from lack of movement. Starscream and the jet twin's rendezvous had taken a solid two hours; not something she expected, but she didn't feel anyone go off-line in the time period either. Now they had returned to base and were met with an enraged and baffled Sentinel and a pair of giddy jets. The latter being in quite a sorry state due to their earlier meet-up in the sky.

"See?" Bumblebee panted. "I told ya' I'd beat him here," He swung a hand at the twins who smiled back.

"Oh ya, you showed me," Sari smiled, winking at the bots. "So, you guys have fun?"

"Yes, we be having lots of education now!" Jetstorm chirped.

Sentinel, upon hearing this abruptly turned and placed his fists on his hips. "Oh and I suppose that a Decepticon traitor gave you better _pointers _than our very own prestigious and highly awarded Autobot Academy did?"

"No, boss-bot prime sir!"

"Mmmm, academy was lacking fun and flare though, yes brother?"

"Indeed brother! Fight with real big jet-bot is much better than fighting with fake jet-bot," Jetstorm remarked, possibly referring to the time when the younger bot's simulator had malfunctioned and the digital copy of Starscream had assaulted them, despite the program's supposed harmlessness.

The bots continued to chatter on about their favorite sequences of their earlier confrontaion with Starscream, even as Sentinel moved them along, hating their newfound likeness towards the con. He absolutely hated it.

* * *

Optimus flipped forward and changed forms, kicking up dry soil as he did. Starscream landed thunderously behind him and stared. This wooded area was dangerously close to Decepticon territory. He stayed behind even as Optimus began to walk forward, expanding his sensors out as far as possible, feeling, oddly, agitated to be in such proximity. Starscream finally unclenched his servos and moved forward, following the smaller mech and pondering what business he could have with him in so quiet a place. Even as he strained his audios for the sound of wings cutting through air or the guttural roar of engines, he almost missed Optimus's comment;

"I've been on Earth for about a stellar cycle, and you want to know something I've noticed?"

Starscream frowned and blinked at the question, watching him pace around in an arc and holding his servo up to touch the organic limbs of a "tree".

"Organics change, and not just humans. Seasons, plants, everything changes at some point on this planet,"

"So."

Optimus wondered aloud, "So all organic planets are off limits to Autobots, yet I found we can learn so much from them."

Starscream relaxed slightly at the Autobot's surprising wisdom. That, at least, was something he could understand from their beliefs. Sensing Optimus's train of thought, he finished it by vaguely asking,

"And your little Spark of gold wonders why we can't change either?"

Prime turned to fully face and address him.

"Look Starscream, me and the other Autobots don't have to like you, and you don't have to like us, but if you make this work, it could be huge in ending the war. Permanetly."

Starscream rolled the backs of his shoulders uncomfortably. In the past, he would've had a snide remark, but due to the circumstances, he asked back,

"Perhaps, Autobot. But don't get your hopes up, an entire faction isn't going to change overnight. Allthough once, I, er, we, overthrow Decepticons and I take my rightful place as their ruler I could convince them otherwise…"

Optimus narrowed his eyes, slightly confused. "If you want me to aknowledge you as Deecepticon leader then I will, but only if you work with me to end the war,"

"You dream big, don't you Autobot?"

"I just want peace…and I hold onto my dreams; the future is built on them."

* * *

Dialogue borrowed and belonging to Transformers: G1 episode "The Core"

For all your wonderful patience and very admirable persistence my lovely readers, the next chapter will be the rising action if not climax of this story, so please stay tuned and, hear and believe me when I say, that a new chapter is imminent! Until we meet again~

-Bumbles217


	13. Game Changer

_Transformers Animated belongs to Hasbro. I own nothing._

* * *

Sari woke earlier than usual that morning, feeling disoriented if not sick to her stomach. She sat up slowly in bed, hunching forward and allowing her hair to fall past her face in short, loose waves. Sparkplug lay at the foot of her bed, inactive, while the sun had yet to rise. She looked out the wide, panoramic windows of her bedroom at the city, which was partially hidden behind a soft, charcoal-grey blanket of early morning mist. A strip of blinding gold appeared as the sun finally began to rise, and she hardly suppressed a shiver when the light cast shades of rich red across the clouds instead of a usual yellow or gold. She pulled the blankets tighter around her shoulders, staving off the chill in the temperate room. Sari didn't know why, but she felt the most horrible sensation; like a premonition or frightening feeling of some _thing_ or even some event that was on its way. A fresh wave of goose-bumps rolled up her arms and her teeth chattered; she pulled the sheets closer.

She looked back outside and another thorn of discomfort nicked her from the inside out as she remembered a particularly grim proverb she'd learned from one of her dad's stories growing up; Red dawn brings bloody day.

Sari squeezed her eyes shut and looked the other way as a sunbeam shot into her room. The light also fell across her robotic pet, and he stood on his stumpy legs and rotated his long head to look at her, letting out an electronic bark at her. She managed a small smile and patted his head as he trotted to her side of the bed and nuzzled her arm for attention. He pranced around on the bed for a moment before jumping to the floor and entertaining himself with a balled up sock.

Finally deciding her fear was irrational, she slowly pushed off the blankets and stretched her arms overhead luxuriously, and then let them fall back to her sides quickly. She twisted to the side and leaped nimbly out of the covers, her step light and measured. She smiled at this; she loved just being able to move as perfectly as the "transformers" did, synchronized and smooth. She laid out her usual apparel and bean to remove, wondering what Optimus had taken Starscream for. They had, after all, been gone for a little over an hour that afternoon. Out of boredom, she'd then acquainted herself further with the other bots, although she'd refrained from getting close to Perceptor or Wheeljack; they just seemed _too_ interested in her. She'd also attempted to spend time with her dad, but he must've been otherwise engaged because he didn't answer his phone.

She tied her hair back in its usual ponytail style and after a moment of looking out the windows, she left the room.

* * *

Starscream's abruptly came to his senses, and a shock pierced his chassis. A quick scan of the quarters he was in rebooted his memory of the previous evening,

"_You Autobots are too soft for your own good, you drag me out in the wild for your little speech about peace and leadership and for what? Who is to say I will go back on my word?"_

_Optimus lowered his head at this slightly, the darker side of him warning him that this was quite a possibility, but, the side of him that everyone else knew, the side Ultra Magnus had trained, responded,_

"_We'll just have to wait and see then, Starscream." He stopped on the lift that would carry him up to headquarters and turned to lift his chin up and look the Con in the optic._

_Starscream stopped and looked back at the tower before glaring down at him._

"_Doesn't the prisoner stay the cycle in his prison?" He sneered._

_Optimus shrugged and made a neutral face, then stepped aside, leaving a wide space beside him._

"_Maybe this would go a lot smoother if you at least met everyone else," He motioned for him to follow. "Come on up,"_

_Starscream growled quietly and turned his helm away, barely concealing his distaste. Optimus shrugged nonchalantly and said casually,_

"_Or you could spend the night in a small, cold room with the Dinobots, your call. But I don't think Sari would like it if she found out you passed up a chance to get to know the others…"_

"_Ah, whatever,"_

_The lift took them to the top of the tower to the Autobot setup, the panels above their heads flipping over and attaching to the sides of the elevator so they would not have to duck while walking out. Optimus approached the entrance and calmly walked inside and, after a long moment of hesitation and a warning to the other bots, Starscream slowly walked in, to which he was met with disturbing and awkward silence. Several multi-colored vehicles stood against the far side of the arching walls, and he assumed they were recharging, whereas the other bots, including Elite guard members, three scientists and even the two bot twins that could conjoin at will were present. Icy blue stares pinned him to his place at the entryway and he hesitated to step forward. Just as he was about to snap at them to stop their incessant staring, the two jets who he'd beaten earlier hurried up to meet him._

"_Hello to you big not-pink bot!" The orange one greeted one, brightly, sincerely._

"_Yes what do you be doing in here meester jet-bot?"_

"_Ehh.." Optimus gave the Seeker a small and subtle grin as he turned away to go and address another Prime, this one a ruddy crimson color with a dark grey face and small orange wings._

"_Yeah, what are you doing here, Screamer?"_

_Starscream abruptly turned to behold the yellow "Bumblebee" Autobot and his companion, "Bulkhead". They both held several black barrels of oil in their arms with a light green "S" insignia painted on their sides._

_The Jettwins leaned past the Seeker to address the newcomers. _

"_Bigger jet-bot be visiting and staying with us tonight!"_

"_Yes, yes! Starscreamer is being nice-not-bad bot and saying goodnight!" Jetfire agreed. _

_Bumblebee scoffed and chucked a barrel at the Con, which he quickly reached up and caught in a solid grip. He stood on the tips of his stabilizing servos to look at Optimus. _

"_I'm not bunking with him am I?"_

_The twins and Bulkhead chortled and Bumblebee grinned foxily as he tossed more oil at the other bots, which they readily accepted. Once the younger bots had addressed him, the tension in the room lessened slightly and conversations resumed. It seemed as though Jetfire and Jetstorm's admiration for the Seeker had gotten around. Starscream turned his head away for a moment and spotted an ugly dark blue truck with orange decals parked on the far side of the room in a curved space. He felt relieved that the bothersome Prime was not there to disturb him. He pulled his attention back to the younger bots when he heard them mention his name._

"…_then I fly faster and going higher until my audio circuits be popping,"_

"_And jet-bot teacher tell us-keep going! We better fly faster or he will be blasting us back to Cybertron's second moon!"_

_Jetstorm sipped his oil and rubbed his temple with his palm. "Ohh, I am still be having ache of processor, brother,"_

"_Me too brother," _

"_If you had accelerated at Mach 2.8 and not 2.6, you would've been fine," Starscream scoffed, hating the sound of whining. _

_Bumblebee took a particularly deep gulp of fuel and grinned. _

"_Yeah, I mean when I go mack 2.8 on the road I never get processor aches,"_

_The twins chuckled and Starscream rolled his optics._

"_Its Mach, not mack, Bumbler-bot," _

"_Whoa!" He pointed at him. "You almost said my name! Now say it with me, Bum-ble-Bee, now you try," _

_Starscream curled his lip and grunted an insult in his own language, to which there were small laughs all around from the assembled group. Finally giving up, Starscream stabbed a hole in the can he was offered. He stared back down at the sloshing liquid and grimaced._

"_What? Regular oil not good enough for ya'?" Bumblebee waved his own can back and forth slightly before taking several mocking gulps. _

"_Yes, is jet-bot teacher being a "light-of-weight"?" _

"_I'm not your teacher," He grouched, flinching on the inside for the term. Tossing his head back he drained the can in two long draughts. He made a face at the curious taste; earthy and watered down. But it gave him a sharp kick of energy that he hadn't felt in weeks. He threw the barrel back at the yellow bot who cried out as he caught it but stumbled onto the floor from the force. Bumblebee's optics grew wide and then looked at Bulkhead for help._

"_Well, uh, as an old buddy a'mine once said, it ain't finished 'till its flat, Bumblebee!"_

"_Oh?" Starscream sharply raised his foot and brought it down on the barrel the yellow bot held, flattening it into a hard grey disk. Bumblebee stuttered a moment before letting his head fall back against the floor. The twins laughed and leaned on one another and Bulkhead bit his lower jaw, concealing a grin. _

_Rodimus crossed his arms and Perceptor and Wheeljack exchanged looks, impartial if anything. _

"_Well you can do just about anything can't you, superbot?"_

_Optimus smiled and turned away, separating himself from the group._

"_Good night, Rodimus,"_

"_Night', Optimus,"_

* * *

Starscream quickly transformed and took a few uneasy steps forward, clutching his helm with one servo as if in pain. He opened his optics carefully and beheld the dark, cavernous quarters. At the moment, he was the only biped; all the others bots had resumed their vehicle modes, probably feeling unsafe at his presence, not that he blamed them. Beside him on the ground, the twins, Jetfire and Jetstorm were parked, and beside them, the little yellow bot, Bumblebee and the large green one, Bulkhead. The memory replayed in his processor and he scowled, digging the tips of his claws deeper into his helmet, wishing he could spear and remove his own CPU so he could determine the reason why he was feeling the way he was feeling.

Staggering out of the compound, using the wall as his support, he stood up straighter and stared eastward, watching the fiery orb of light rise. It turned the air and clouds of condensed moisture a vibrant crimson. He narrowed his optics against the light until he adjusted.

"_Someone's going to be off-lined today,"_

He felt another spike of cold drill into his Spark and leaned his shoulder plate against the wall, pressing his helm against his armguard. His chest cavity swelled and fell repeatedly as he took deeper intakes than truly necessary.

_Blast them, Blast Them, BLAST THEM! How dare those simple-sparked repair bots worm their way through ME! I'll kill them all! I'll make that Prime watch and then I'll tear his helm off and give it to Megatron for a trophy! _

He snarled aloud to no one in particular and slammed his foot against the roof he stood on, starting his turbines and rapidly accelerating in a whirlwind of searing air. He flew higher and higher, fists clenched and aimed upwards as he ascended before he twisted elaborately above commercial levels and transforming back into jet mode, bobbing up and down on the thermals. The sun was particularly brighter against his undercarriage as he watched it rise up and over the countryside. A second wave passed by his left wing strut and he rotated his right tailfin several degrees to compensate for the change in density. An act as simple as that helped him to relax some, thought not completely.

A loud, very electronic and amplified bird's cry broke the airy quiet, and he quickly shifted back into his bipedal mode, warming his weapons as a black, darting shape winged its way towards him. He waited, wary but patient as a black and red "hawk" flew to him, its angular red optics looking angrily yet dumbly at him. As it came to a hovering stop in front of him, he frowned and held his arm out to it.

Laserbeak stretched his clawed feet out and latched onto the Seeker's limb, squawking loudly once before settling. Starscream pulled the bird closer and glared back into its slim optics.

"Speak, bird."

"Starscream, my most loyal and efficient second-in-command…"

Said second-in-command scowled as his leader's voice came from the bird's open beak, curling his lip with distaste; as if his mood wasn't sour enough.

"What have you to report to me after your interim?"

"…They have numbers, but they are a sorry bunch _Lord_ Megatron. Nothing compared to _our_ mighty fleet, I would recommen-"

"Why is it that the Autobot still lives?" He interrupted.

Starscream frowned and, although he knew exactly of who he spoke of, he played dumb, smirking as he said,

"Why does any Autobot still live, sire? Surely you have a plan to wi-"

"I didn't risk the victory of this war to have you_ play with Autobots!_"

Laserbeak crowed and shook his mechanical wings to further show the angry urgency in Megatron's voice.

"My most _sincere _apologies, Lord Megatron, an opportunity to destroy your enemy has not yet arisen, I have only just earned their faint trust. One wrong command on your part could easily shatter it,"

"Silence you moron, I still know my place in this war, and it appears to me that you have forgotten yours.."

Starscream held a straight face, unsure whether or not Laserbeak's stare was also a one-way camera. The way he'd spoken to however reflected on his mixed thoughts on his feelings towards the small autobot band and their, his, human companion.

"..I assure you I haven't, Lord Megatron."

"Oh really?"

"Oh yes, in fact I practically have them re-fueling out of my servo! I just need a little more time to assure my place in their ranks before I-uh, I mean, _we _make our move,"

"Then do it quickly! And don't waste my time.." He drawlingly finished.

The burning glare of Laserbeak's optics diminished somewhat and he suddenly took flight, cawing and swiping his flimsy talons against his forearm and retreating quickly on thick, hollow wings. Starscream watched him leave until he could no longer zero in on the bird. The air around him became more benign as the drone flew, taking the Decepticon leader's mood with it.

The Seeker turned his sights downward, the heat and white and blue streaks of flame distorting the immediate area below him. Elsewhere, rolling hills of organic, green foliage varying both smoothly and suddenly in some areas as patches of sunlight struck the surface through the thickening clouds. The tightly knitted forests farther behind him that grew on Detroit's countryside thinned out to a few sparse pines out in the open, turning into enormous rolling hills of wild grasses, short and thorny in some places and long, flowing, golden strands in others. Curving gullies and thin rivers winded widely through the multicolored landscape. Starscream continued to stare and map the area until his vision became pixilated, and he shuttered his optics to clear it.

He tilted his hem back at the growingly cold and moist sky and shook his head with frustration. What was he to do? He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. There was no clear answer for his sort of predicament; it wasn't logical or tactical, it was moral, which drove him mad with confusion over what to do. A drop of moisture fell onto his forehead, unnoticed until it rolled onto his optic, and he shuttered it to clear it away. He tilted his helm back down and surveyed the air around him, dropping in temperature and growing moister. A storm was beginning to form, most likely heading for Michigan based on the northern wind pushing it onward. His shoulders bristled and little sparks of static rippled along them as he once again had the feeling of death come over him. He transformed, feeling more secure although cramped in his vehicle mode as he hurtled back to the city.

* * *

Megatron scowled and turned away from Soundwave once the connection was severed. He slouched at the computer's console, kneading his grey digits into its underside with barely suppressed fury at the frighteningly slow pace at which Starscream's mission was going. If anything, he was hardly trying, getting too much of a taste for the Autobot cause and forgetting his original place.

"Hey there, Megatron!" Swindle casually and friendlily called out, approaching the two.

Soundwave stepped between them, saying, "Lord Megatron will not be seeing anyone at this time," he droned.

Megatron unhinged his servos from the now nearly crushed console and straightened up, turning to stare irritably at the salesbot.

"What is it, Swindle?" He said with nearly gritted dentals.

Swindle stopped searching and let the compartment slap shut, placing a fist on his hip and pointing over his shoulder at the other various Decepticons milling about behind him.

"Oh, I was just wondering when this whole "War" thing was gonna kick off, the bots are getting restless and frankly I'm running out of toys for them to play with."

_BOOM!_

They looked up as carbon dust rained down from the ceiling from the residual shockwave that vibrated throughout the cavern. A moment later, a violet flash of light illuminated the area and Skywarp stumbled forward, his face and chassis marred with ash, his wingtips smoking. He whimpered loudly in near-hysterics as he staggered across the floor, looking over his shoulder.

"Coward! Come back and fight like a bot!"*

"Blitzwing! Face the wrath of my Talosian Triple Crusher Cannon!"**

"Shut-UP already!"

"Face _my_ superiority!"

Skywarp practically threw himself onto his knees at Swindle's feet, clasping his servos together.

"I-I told t-them not t-to touch the C-c-crusher cannor mr. Swindle sir!"

Swindle rubbed the back of his helm, sayin, "Ahh that's fine, he doesn't even have my _amazing_ insurance policy so who's he gonna come to for those costly repairs?" He lifted an optic ridge suggestively.

"Fellow Decepticons!" Megatron thundered, his voice resonating with all the authority he possessed.

From all the recesses and corridors, red-eyed bots slunk forward, some looking more flustered than others. Lugnut now sported several enormous cracks in his armor and Blitzwing's left arm had collapsed inward in a ugly, dented display. After flexing a few times, the dulled metal popped back into its original shape.

Skywarp leaped to Thundercracker's side upon seeing him, crouching low behind him and making himself look as inconsequential as possible. The blue seeker crossed his arms and smirked at his leader pompously, wondering if the old crankcase might actually have a plan of action.

Once assembled, Megatron addressed them directly,

"My loyal Decepticons, You have my gratitude for your patience in these few weeks that your second-in-command has been absent, but I have grown tired of his games and I wish to act, and I'm certain that you are all as well?"

A low growl of assent rippled through the air menacingly and Megatron allowed himself the smallest of smirks. He turned back to Soundwave who stood stiffly as ever.

"Summon that idiot here before he does something stupid."

Sari tilted her head and stuck the end of the brush between her teeth thoughtfully. She put it back in its holder after a moment and held the large tin plate at arms length.

"Its kinda crooked,"

"Did you use that stencil thingy?"

"Well, um.."

"Bumblebee!"

"Pfft'! Who needs stencils, my art is perfect!"

"Tell that to Bulkhead's melted art gallery." She teased, setting the large sheet on the ground, careful not to prick her fingers on the hot edges from detailing laser, courtesy of Ratchet…who would be looking for it soon.

Bumblebee bent and lifted up the metal, rotating it and inspecting it himself, one optic ridge slightly lifted.

"Do we have to give this to him? Its kinda scrappy, what if he throws it away?"

"Then you can bug him into wearing it, Bee, now give it back!" She jumped up, snatching the plate out of his servos, and landing lightly on her feet. A proximity warning suddenly went off in Bumblebee's head and he turned just in time to see the rest of his team pull in through the doorway, transforming in unison. Sari smiled at the sight of them, just her and her five bots, as it should be, and held up her and Bumblebee's creation. Optimus gave a small appreciative grin at the emblem,

"Let's just hope he accepts this time,"

"How he could he say no?" She grinned back.

Bulkhead then opened his chest cavity and pulled out half a dozen small barrels, handing them to each bot.

"Well at least I get something out of this," Said Bumblebee as he accepted the drink.

A dull thud and faint whine of engines sounded from a distance, and soon heavy footfalls came closer and closer to the old assembly factory and, after a particularly loud step, Starscream strode inside, pressing the heel of his hand against his forehead and scowling.

"What did you Autobots summon me for? My sensors are positively throbbing from those ridiculous transmissions-ah!"

He stopped short when Bumblebee pelted him with a full barrel of fuel, silencing him.

"Yeesh, you're starting to sound like Sentinel! Take a cooling break, Screamer!" He openly teased.

Starscream gritted his dentals and glared at the little yellow bot, clenching the oil so tightly that it threatened to burst.

"Why you little-!"

"Uh, Starscream, If I may, my team and I have a proposal for you," Optimus intervened, trying to sound diplomatic if at all possible.

"Oh? Well then please proceed, I'm _all_ audios," He hooked his thumb into the can and drank heavily from it.

"Well after some consideration on all of our parts, we've decided to.." He trailed off awkwardly as Starscream showed no signs of attention, sipping from his oil and looking around at his surroundings and even going so far as to look at his claw tips.

"-Make you an official member of the team!"

This had finally caught his attention. He choked on his oil, his engine sputtering and he looked at the assembled bots before him with open astonishment.

"What?"

"No need to thank us," Prowl commented calmly, sipping his oil.

"Yeah, yer' welcome!" Ratchet agreed, gruff but slightly amused on the inside.

"Are you all insane!" He snapped, particularly to Optimus who stood directly in front of him.

"Well you did say you wanted to leave the Decepticons, and we all agreed that this was the best option." Prowl informed, neutral.

"You don't have the authority, Autobot." He growled.

"Well I was left in charge of this planet and every Autobot on it," He waved his hand nonchalantly.

Before he could come up with another retort, Sari picked the broad metal sheet, now cooled and ran to Starscream's feet, presenting it to him.

"And we even made this for you!"

Starscream finally grew quiet, his mind slightly fogged at what they were doing to him. An Autobot insignia. Red and white with perfect detail and cut so that it would cover his present symbols emblazoned on his wings. He met optics with her and she smiled gently, encouragingly, almost pleading him to take it. Unbeknownst to him, all optics were on him, knowing that his next actions would decide what he would do. After several, slow and quiet moments, Starscream tentatively reached out, the tips of his talons about to click shut on the deal that would replace his current allegiance, when,

"_Starscream!"_

He jolted from his position, his claws snapping shut over the symbol and startling some of the bots in the room. Sari, however, smiled brightly and stepped back to stand beside Bumblebee who shrugged, wearing his own trademark grin and drinking from his barrel.

"Ehh, so long if he doesn't cramp our style, I'm cool,"

The redhead, after a moment of looking around at the machines around her, she laughed and, after a moment, the others joined in, with the exception of Prowl and Ratchet who watched with calm satisfaction.

Starscream took some small steps back from the ragtag group to address the sound of the devil that had just snapped into his audio.

"_Lord Megatron?" _He said, more surprised than anything.

"_I hope that I am not interrupting any special Autobot business, but I request you return to base immediately."_

"_That is highly inadvisable Lord Megatron-"_

"_That is an order, Starscream! I am still your commanding officer! Report back immediately for debriefing."_

The connection was cut short and he quietly took his digit from his temple. He turned to look back at the group. They were so weak; some repair bots and a human, cybertronian circuitry, but a tiny little human nevertheless…and he was afraid for them.

He studied the little insignia in his palm for a moment before discreetly bending to place it facedown on the concrete floor.

"I'm afraid I must excuse myself for some fresh air," He said, a bit too quickly, as he abruptly twisted, crouching slightly before leaping and rocketing upwards, transforming and flying north, soaring low and fast over the city.

The once jovial bots now frowned, startled by his sudden and somewhat suspicious excuse. He'd been gone for over two hours that morning, there was really no reason for him to be leaving.

"What's up with him?" Bumblebee queried.

Sari frowned and looked up at Optimus who handed off his oil to Ratchet who then watched the bot approach the doorway. Outside, the already overcast sky began to thicken with dark-grey, moisture rich storm clouds.

"Maybe he just needs time to process it over?"

"I'm going after him, maybe I can talk to him." He transformed where he stood. "Go on and head back to base, I'll be back soon."

And with that, he revved his engine and was off, out the parking lot and down the street in the general direction that the Seeker had flown. Once again, a chill and a wave of goose-bumps went up and down Sari's skin as she watched Optimus drive away. The anxiety she'd had a few hours prior had returned two-fold. She rubbed her arms uncomfortably and looked upward. Even though she could no loner see him, she could still hear the sound of turbines rotating thousands of times per minute, getting fainter each second. She also noticed the cool breezes blowing in and whipping up decaying leaves and litter in the parking lot. The air had the scent of rain.

Bumblebee suddenly pulled up beside her, his driver's door held open invitingly.

Ratchet putted ahead of them alongside Prowl. "Storm's comin'. Better head back 'fore it gets here."

Sari didn't respond, but rather stepped to the side and slid onto her friend's seat, letting him close the door for her. She didn't look out the window the rest of the trip back to the tower, instead she looked at the Autobot emblem reflected in Bumblebee's mirror, the one Starscream had neglected to take with him.

* * *

…..

_Where are you going, Starscream?_

Optimus signaled right and drifted into the next lane, not that it was really necessary. Following Starscream's route had carried him far past city limits, now he was coasting besides the train tracks, with few cars around for company. He couldn't see him directly in sight, but the tracker he'd asked of Wheeljack and Perceptor had finally proven itself useful. At the moment, it seemed as though he was heading for the woods and rocky hills and mountains therein, but it made him anxious. They'd spent time in there together only a day or two prior, talking, if not somewhat one-sidedly about their hopes for the future. Optimus had spoken the most; Starscream just surveyed the area he was in, occasionally grunting his acknowledgment or interrupting in the right places to remind him that he would be the rightful Decepticon leader some day. He'd acted neutral towards the latter statement.

Looking both ways in his mirrors, he decided he was far enough from any possible humans to transform and leave the road all together. He sharply pulled off the road onto the rocky soil, pulling away from the interstate which would curve in the opposite direction he needed to go. He changed shape mid-leap and landed on his feet, getting his bearings and surveying the hilly landscape before the distant, jagged line of evergreen that suggested trees, wide yet sharp plates of violet that were the mountains stuck up into the horizon. As he met optics with them, he saw a dark dot fly slowly across their peaks and vanish on the other side. Another pan of nervousness gripped his spark and he transformed, racing as fast as he could for the woods and whatever laid beyond.

* * *

It felt strange just to fly in the airspace over the carbon mines, let alone diving through the gaping, ruined hole where the main aerial entrance had once been. Once the space bridge had malfunctioned and exploded in the way that it did, the enormous cave-in had forced the expanded Decepticon force to move deeper into the mountain, something that had happened in his absence. It made him tense just thinking about the miles of signal-blocking stone pressing down from all around.

He landed thunderously in the center of the slightly cleared rubble, the computers and leftover spacebridge components he'd ordered Blackarachnia and the other two morons of his to salvage for his own use. That plan had fallen through with Megatron's arrival. He proceeded to pick his way through the tunnels, following energy signals and faint voices. He didn't realize how lightly he was stepping until he entered a sloping, stalactite-riddled cave, dark except for a few ultraviolet light fixtures, red optical lights from different points around the room and even looking down from the ceiling.

Soundwave and Shockwave stood resolutely beside Megatron, watching his movements as he approached the imposing con. Starscream briefly took a glance at his sinister surroundings, a rather perfect setting for his kind; colder than their previous setup, little oxygen available, and soft limestone and granite easy for grinding and scraping away to make way for any improvements. He also noticed Blitzwing up against the wall to his left beside Lugnut and Skywarp, watching him carefully with a sharp red optic. Lugnut stared in a similar manner, zeroing in on him with his freakish camera optic.

"Starscream…welcome home."

"Tch'. Glad to be back," He snorted back, crossing his arms and sneering as a drop of moist soil fell onto the tip of his wing, dripping down over his symbol. A low, almost imperceptible snicker told him that it'd been Thundercracker who'd flicked it in his direction.

"Oh not to worry," Megatron finally turned away from the screen. "This will soon be a memory in all of our processors when we reclaim what is rightfully ours…"

A rumble of excited growls and mumbles shuddered around the cave walls. They had become viciously restless.

"However, I wish to know how you ultimately failed your mission of off-lining Optimus Prime when you had multiple resources and opportunities."

Starscream chanced a look at Blitzwing, who busied himself by watching lime scale form on a stalagmite, the fire-starter who'd been ordered to set nearly half the city on fire so he could "rescue" Sari from the blaze when she'd tried to be a hero. He then looked at Soundwave who'd placed the mimicked call at exactly the right moment so that the Autobots would come at the right moment to watch him do it. When he turned his attention to Shockwave, he smirked, saying,

"I thought that EMP looked familiar. And only you would risk dozens of lives just to make me look good,"

Megatron also grinned, mockingly. "Ah yes, look," He motioned at the screen where an enlarged picture of a newspaper article materialized, and the bright, colorful cover picture was of him from a human's point of view on the ground, the camera angled up at him from some ten yards away it seemed, as he clenched his talons over the hull of the train carrying all those humans and ultimately stopping it from colliding into its station.

"You made the front page!"

Several cons snickered lowly at the mocking.

"…And yet," Megatron abruptly frowned, and everyone went silent. He took several slow steps forward until he towered above the Seeker. "You have not carried out my orders."

"I was waiting for the proper moment." He responded, unfazed.

"Proper moment? Ha! I saw at least thirty_ proper_ moments where you could've offlined that sorry scrap! it's a shame you don't have my superior insight," Thundercracker crowed, breaking the silence.

Starscream snapped his head upward, forgetting Megatron for a moment to glare at his clone, who he could only identify as a pair of bright, jeering optics from several hundred yards above. It was clear that their leader disliked being interrupted, but Thundercracker now had everyone's attention as he proceeded.

"Just look at him! He's changed! His armor's dull, his optics are too shiny and pleasant, and he even reeks of Autobot fumes!"

"Shut your vocalizer in the presence of a superior, you two-plated knock-off!"

He powered on his weapon and turned it on his clone, only to have a powerful, large servo clamp itself around his neck, yanking him back and forcing him to power his weapon down. He felt a tugging sensation and then the pressure was relieved.

"And what's this?" He held a thin, polycarbonate strip of film with tiny blue circuits weaving in and out of it. With a flick of his arm he tossed it to Swindle, who caught it and inspected it curiously.

"Huh, remote-activated, stasis-inducing locator. Not the most extravagant thing on the market, but discreet enough to track even the slickest bot or con anywhere in the galaxy,"

He handed it off to Lockdown who also took a look at it.

"A pretty good deal for a cheap material." He agreed.

Megatron finally moved away from the now taken aback Starscream to stand closer to the exit, shrouded in the dark.

"Yes, Swindle, a very good deal," He growled. "If it means that being tracked will also bring an unaware Autobot to your doorstep-!"

He abruptly raised his arm and fired his cannon at the arching tunnel entrance, A enormous wet cloud of dust and moldy debris blew into the room, and, coughing from the unexpected blast, Optimus fell forward, a short distance from Megatron's feet. Surprised and viciously delighted exclamations echoed around the room, and Starscream furiously addressed him,

"You _fool!_"

Optimus sharply looked up and leaped to his feet, drawing his axe and mask at once, despite the obvious odds against him.

"I should've known you couldn't change, Decepticon." He said bitingly, staring furiously at Starscream, who balked from the uncharacteristic venom in his voice. He was simply too shocked by the circumstances.

"Very commendable of you, Autobot, you have saved both the honor of my second in command and the task of coming to you and destroying you,"

From behind him, the other Decepticons prowled closer, becoming too tense to wait much longer. Optimus wasn't stupid, he knew he was severely outnumbered and outmatched, later he would tell the team that he'd run because of this, not because of survival instinct.

"Not this time, Megatron,"

He flipped his arms back, folding them behind himself and transforming, scraping his tires painfully against the slippery earth as he finally gained purchase and reversed back into the tunnel, flipping around to face forward.

Megatron watched stoically as a horde of his troops thundered past him in their own vehicle modes. Starscream also began to move, perhaps there was still an opportunity to salvage the situation. As he started forward, preparing to transform, Megatron whipped around and grabbed his wing, crumpling the edge of it and slamming him up against the wall, pinning him in place.

"Ah-! What do you think you're doing?" He writhed under his grip.

"If I didn't know any better, Starscream, I would think that you actually _cared_ about what I do to that Autobot,"

"O-of course not!"

"..Nevertheless, I don't think I'll take my chances."

Reaching behind him, Megatron drew one of his swords and, in a flash of movement, sunk the blade nearly up to the hilt into the Seeker's shoulder, sticking him on the wall. Starscream snarled at first with the pain but then cut himself off and hissed instead, not daring to show his discomfort to him.

"Remain here, and I will return shortly to address this matter,"

And with that, he strode out of the now empty base, leaving Starscream to shout obscenities as he clawed at the blade, attempting to discharge it in the least harmful way possible. He braced his elbows against the stony wall, his servos flat against it, and started to push himself forward, the sword scraping out of the carbon until it emerged completely, and he stumbled forward, the weapon sticking out awkwardly behind him.

He hissed as he grabbed the handle and yanked it out, wincing as he felt it drag back over delicate wiring and thick wing strut muscle cables. It dripped with glowing pink energon once extracted. Grimacing, he clutched both ends of it and proceeded to tear it apart, bending and twisting the metal into a nearly unrecognizable shape before tossing it away, ruining it so the owner would not be able to use it again. After a moment of thought, he stopped and turned to fire upon it, destroying it even further. He rolled his shoulder, grateful that at least the socket and pistons were still functional before transforming and rocketing off to join the pursuit.

* * *

Optimus was lost. The tracker he'd placed on Starscream had enabled him to follow him down into the mines, but now it was gone and the tunnels were an interlaced maze with the maniacal howls and cries of battle-hungry 'Cons, the most of which were close behind, knowing the layout of the caves even better than he did, following his every turn easily, predictably. He looked behind him using his rear and side view mirrors, seeing the dark, muddy colors and shapes of his pursuers right on his bumper.

He turned his attention suddenly to the front again, taking notice of a smaller tunnel off to the side, and coming up fast. He put on another burst of speed and suddenly transformed, swinging his axe out and digging the blade into the wall, slowing him down enough to allow him to swing into the smaller entrance, where he transformed again and sped along, seeing a dull brightness at the very far end of it. Too far. Angry shouts sounded off some hundred yards behind him as they all crowded in, resuming their chase. A thrill of panic and excitement pulsed through him and he drove even faster, the dull brightness almost immediately glowing brighter and brighter…until he was airborne.

"Whoaaa-!"

The ground had vanished beneath him and he'd been launched into empty space, plummeting down the few hundred feet and landing, tumbling into a shallow river and sending up small waves. He quickly rolled onto his feet and staggered off to the side, panting as he whipped his head around to see the vehicular deceptions stop at the edge he'd just dropped from. There was a hesitation in the group, and then the Starscream clones leaped outward in their jet modes, arching up higher and out of sight, so that gravity would be more on their side when they came racing back down. Soon the others would find a way down and join the assault.

He transformed again and threw himself back to the ground, transforming and speeding up the river bend, following its slowly winding path up the canyon. From above, the multiplied sounds of turbines and wings cutting through the air became dangerously close. He chanced a look behind him with his mirrors, seeing fleeting images of color coming down to meet him at a frightening rate. Proximity warnings rang in his audios and he angrily ignored them, directing his sensors forward again where he was met with the sight of a dead end. The canyon, now severely thinned and angling to a near point, was blocked off by a natural dam of loosed stone and soil, trickling water and dried mud. Bits of human garbage and graffiti marked the lower debris.

Optimus hesitated a moment, then accelerated, the pounding of his pistons inside matching the violent whirring of airborne engines. When it seemed as though he were about to crash, he transformed and took a flying leap, wielding his axe and bringing it down on the rocks in a wide arch, slamming himself into the boulders and anchoring himself with his weapon. He huffed, releasing oxygen from his tanks and began to climb, using the axe as a pick. From several hundred feet below, the sounds of transformations sounded along with several thuds of landing bots.

"Ohh, look he's trying to escape!" The female clone called from below, tauntingly.

Optimus ignored them and climbed further, not daring to look down. Thundercracker landed in front of the assembled team, striding forward and shoving two other clones aside as he did.

"Yes, its almost endearing, isn't it?" He raised an arm and fired, the shot glancing off the stones and nearly clipping Optimus's shoulder. Still he continued to climb, nearly reaching the pinnacle.

"What an inferior means of an escape! I'll show him how a superior fighter works,"

He leaped upward then, propelling himself upward by his thrusters and twisting his legs around him, and slamming feet first onto the jagged stone in front of the Autobot. He leaned on one leg and slung his arm casually over his armored knee, tilting the rock so that he was forced to cling even tighter to the edge.

"Well, hello there, lesser bot!" He hissed, leering down at him.

"Save it Thundercracker!" Laserwave shouted up at him. "That's Megatron's bot to snuff!"

"That piece of scrap will thank my superior self for saving him the trouble!"

He reached down sharply then and grabbed Optimus by the neck, crushing it slightly and easily lifting him up to eye level, staring at him sinisterly. He scowled back at the grey face and grabbed his arm. Thundercracker leaned closer and grinned.

"My inferior creator was so weak to have fallen for your cause, Autobot!"

"What's going on up there!"

Megatron's voice thundered from below, surprising both bot and con. Optimus stared straight into the deception's optics at that moment, and watched a red flicker, a moment when his attention was elsewhere, looking down at the ground where his leader was, and he took his chance. Letting go of the clone's thick arm, he swung his axe back up and, having learned from his very first confrontation with Starscream, hacked the blade into his wing, slicing it halfway before his momentum stopped.

Howling, he released the bot and reached over to clutch at his wing, his stabilizing servos catching on the edge of the boulders and sending both of them tumbling over the edge. Snapping his arm out, Optimus gasped and clutched the edge of the precipice, crying out as Thundercracker reached out and sank his claws into and through the thick armor of his leg, the tips of his talons scratching the nerve plates.

"Thundercracker, you fool! Disengage!"

Thundercracker looked up the Autobot's back, tightening his grip and threatening to tear his leg off.

"I won't miss this opportunity for even greater glory!" He snarled up at him.

Optimus scratched against the rock, straining his dented neck over the edge and spying his dropped weapon. From behind him, he heard at least two muscle cables beginning to fray. He grunted and reached for the axe, tightening his fist around it.

"And neither will I-!" Optimus twisted his arm and swung the weapon behind him blindly, feeling it sink into something thick, even as he heard the clone let out a frightening, choked scream. The grip on his leg abruptly disappeared and he felt a violent tug up the length of the axe. He chanced a look over his shoulder and was appalled to see the curved blade sunken halfway through Thundercracker's black helm and shattering his left optic.

Optimus nearly choked himself, sickened at the sight and Thundercracker screeched again, amplified and computerized as he scrabbled at his face, trying to dislodge the blade. Something was shouted from farther down and, with a great yank of his shoulder, ripped it out of the seeker's skull. As he did, a tiny, glittering object fell from Thundercracker's face, and he gave a final moan as shades of dark grey spread over his arms and chest. The prime watched as his now off-lined assailant tumbled down the cliffs, dislodging much of the hard chunks of earth and organic tree limbs which, once his shell had landed, crashed and piled upon him, completely concealing him save for the tips of three grey claws, an area of chest and cockpit, and a dusty grey optic staring blankly over the edge of a stone shard.

Once the thin blanket of dust settled somewhat, Megatron stood amongst the other cons, some of who were coughing or shuttering their optics several times as they took in what had just happened. The warlord looked at the clone's body, then directed his gaze upward at the vacant pinnacle of the dam. It hadn't been a few moments of him staring that a pair of footsteps came from somewhere behind him. He didn't move as his second-in-command came up behind him. The other decepticons began to step back, wary and perturbed of what was going to happen. Starscream was the first to break the quiet, saying,

"I imagined that moron getting himself off-lined. A pathetic death, really."

At this Megatron began to shudder and, even as Starscream looked at his leader, he snapped around and struck the seeker across the cheek, slicing a diagonal cut from his mouth to the underside of his optic. He'd managed to shutter his optic in time, but he still stepped back, surprised and growling at the attack.

"Now look at what you've done you imbecile! You've let the Autobot escape!"

Starscream stood erectly, flicking away the sheen of energon coming from the slit in his armor.

"How could I have helped the Autobot escape when I was _mounted on the wall!_" He snarled back, defiantly.

"Thundercracker spoke truthfully when he said you'd forgotten your place, and now look at the price he has paid!"

"That gloating piece of scrap terminated himself, he caused his own downfall-!"

Megatron viciously lashed out then, grabbing his neck and squeezing as tightly as he dared and lifting him several feet.

"A traitor to your own cause, Starscream, that will be your downfall, now that you've killed your own brother!"

"I did not.."

He thickly growled, raking his claws against his arms. The silver tyrant leered at him and swung him around, releasing him and throwing him against Thundercracker's partially buried shell.

"Tell it to the Autobots!" He roared, raising his cannon and preparing it. He hissed once more at the tyrant, then twisted around and shot upward, spraying up a shower of sand and dry soil as he soared upward and escaped. The other Seeker clones tensed and stepped forward, preparing to pursue, but Megatron swung his thick arm out and snapped at them,

"Let him go, I will destroy him myself when we conquer that organic city and all of its Autobot protectors,"

He turned and faced the rest of his troops, the latter of which backed up and stood alertly at the look of mad fury burning in his optics.

"Fellow Decepticons! He screeched. "We've wasted enough time remaining on this spark-forsaken rock, but I swear to you that once it is ours you will see your reward, a reward of spilt Autobot energon!"

Birds abandoned their nearby posts at the frightfully vicious and alien cries that echoed around the canyon walls and out into open air. A pulse of carnal excitement and anxiety went through Blitzwing as he held his fist in the air.

_He's mad, but we're going to proceed, _

* * *

There was sand being ground up in the hubcap of his tire. This uncomfortable sensation was almost entirely overlooked as Optimus putted along the freeway, Sumdac Tower growing closer as he drove nearer. The pain of his foreleg and the now-dulled shock of Starscream's betrayal almost numbed him. He didn't signal or answer any calls as he rode into the roundabout of the tower, where Sari and Bumblebee stood chatting back and forth. He didn't pay attention to them when they looked at him and asked what was wrong. He barely paid attention to them when he transformed and fell onto his knees in front of them, breathless and leaking fuel heavily through his leg which sported four ugly slashes.

"Prime!"

"Optimus! What happened to you!"

Both of them ran to his side, Bumblebee ducking beneath his arm, slinging it over his own shoulder and heaving him unsteadily to his feet. Sari looked up at him a moment, then ran around the edge of his foot which barely touched the ground, and nearly slipped in the dark, rosy fluid that flowed sporadically out of the gashes, the largest of which was nearly seven feet in width and at least a dozen feet in length. It was an ugly wound, where the four layers of his alloy had been sliced clean through. Now she could see the inside of his leg; bent nerve panels, and the thick pistons that helped him keep his balance were dislocated in several places. She shuddered at the sight of it and placed her palms on the small area of armor that wasn't ruined, transforming them and attempting to heal the wound.

"Who did this to you?" She asked, feeling as though she already had a feeling whose responsibility it was.

"That," He paused, grit his dentals, then continued. "Starscream clone, the blue one,"

"The one that wouldn't shut up about himself?"

Bumblebee began to half carry half drag his leader closer towards the lift that would carry them up the building. She stayed close beside them, trying to not look at the oil and other fluid that splashed every time he attempted to put weight on the foot.

"Where was, Starscream?.." She asked quietly.

At this, he stopped, glaring ahead. "He was with them, telling them everything he knew about us."

The elevator doors they stood before suddenly dropped and the rest of the Prime team emerged, along with Sentinel, Rodimus and the Jet twins.

"No, he couldn't have," she argued.

"What happened here, Optimus!"

"Take it easy, Prime, you're losing energon too quickly," Ratchet strode to him and took his arm out from under Bumblebee, easing him to the ground so he could block the frightening flow. He produced a small cylindrical object out of his wrist and stuck it between the two thick plates of his knee cap, which then produced a small shock. The flow of glowing liquid spurted onto the pavement once more then suddenly stopped. Optimus relaxed enough to respond to Sentinel,

"As much as I hate to, Sentinel, I admit you were right all along. Once a 'Con, always a 'Con," He added grimly, happening to lock stares with Sari as he spoke.

"Mhm, mhm, well I told you so, and of course I was right, I always am,"

"Tch'"

"…Brother?"

"Yes, brother?"

"Big not-pink jet bot being bad after all?"

"Mmm, I'm not knowing brother. I enjoy long fight flights with big jet-bot though,"

Jetfire perked up slightly. "Oh yes! Fights with Screamer bot are being very fun!"

"Hey!" Sentinel snapped, getting both of their attention. "Didn't you hear? That Decepticon you two buddied up with almost off-lined one of your fellow autobots! So don't act like he's your friend!"

"Hey, listen," Rodimus suddenly interrupted, holding up a hand.

Everyone stopped and grew quiet for a moment as the sound of engines grew louder and louder from above, growing in intensity until a magenta shape appeared in the sky and dropped down, changed shape and hit the ground feet first, vibrating the pavement. Starscream stepped closer to the assembled group.

"Prime! You and I need to talk!" He said loudly, calling Optimus personally by name for the first time.

Sari made a move to stand from her seat beside Optimus and Ratchet, only to have a colorful wall of armor surge forward, all drawing their weapons. She and Ratchet exchanged looks.

"What do you think you're all doing!" He snapped, blinking as the wound cut across his face began to weep.

Sentinel's mask snapped over his face and he pointed his lance, even as Rodimus drew an arrow and Prowl drew his throwing stars. Bumblebee and Bulkhead formed a yellow and dark green barrier between the others and their wounded leader.

"Don't move, Decepticon." He growled. "You're under arrest for assaulting a superior while under probation,"

"Yeah! And for being a turn-coat!" Bumblebee piped up, aiming his stingers. Bulkhead lowered his club for a moment and quietly asked,

"Uhh, Bumblebee? What's a turn-coat?"

"I dunno, I heard it on TV once, I think it means having a static-y processor,"

"Ah,"

"This is ridiculous!" Starscream retorted, stepping closer. "I am innocent of any crime! You have no evidence, tell them, Autobot!" He addressed Optimus directly, who simply narrowed his optics and looked away from him.

"You had your chance, Starscream." He said quietly.

"What? No! Optimus, can't we just listen to him?"

"…I'm sorry, Sari."

She sharply stood up and waved an arm at his leg. "But Starscream didn't attack you, it was the clone!" She was nearly pleading.

"No more talk!" Sentinel interrupted. "You're coming with me,"

"This can be done the easy way or the hard way, Starscream," Rodimus added, pulling back the arrow warningly. Starscream glared at them all, even Sari who, when their eyes met, he briefly opened his comm-link to her, and the mixed feelings of rage, frustration and the underlying and profound sadness brought tears to her eyes.

He powered on his weapons with an audible whirring sound, and stepped back, little waves of heat coming away from his thrusters.

"Don't even think about it-!"

The assembled group back stepped as Starscream snarled and whipped around, leaping up and rocketing off into the air at an angle, transforming as he escaped.

"Starscream, don't!"

"What're you waiting for, Fire!"

The seeker ducked and flipped several times as he evaded arrows and bolts of electricity alike. He scoffed at their attempts at first, then inwardly scowled as the two smaller, aerial autobots began to pursue him, firing their own arsenals. More interested in simply escaping, he cut his thrusters and allowed the two to shoot past, tumbling over one another as they attempted to regain their balance. He hovered a moment, watching their clumsiness and called out,

"I have done _nothing!_"

He shouted as he arched up and soared away, rising as fast and as rapidly as he dared, quickly losing the jet twins, left purposeless without their foe.

From her place on the ground, Sari stood, staring open-mouthed at the grey sky where her friend had disappeared. Turning on her heel, she looked angrily at Optimus who'd begun to stand, aided by Ratchet.

"What was that all about! Why didn't you defend him!"

"He betrayed us, Sari. He's a Decepticon, that's what he does."

"Not him! Dontcha' remember back at the base? He was going to join us! For all we know Megatron forced him to come back!"

"Sari, try to understand-"

"No! I already understand! I understand that you guys are so hard-wired that you can't see when a bot is good or not, its why this stupid war keeps going on because you bots can't see change when it happens!"

"Silence, organic! If you knew what was good for you you'd stay out of Autobot business!" Sentinel sneered.

Sari growled with exasperation and looked up at him, putting on her own mask and transforming her hands into glowing segments.

"Newsflash, mega-chin! It _is_ my business!"

Sentinel backed off at the sight of this, and she shifted herself back to normal, clenching her fists and raising her head proudly, she strode across the pavement, but suddenly began to run, ignoring Bumblebee's cry to stop. Optimus watched her go with dim optics, confusion and indecision bothering him the most more than any other feeling. Ratchet watched him carefully, not catching his glances. He could've sworn the medic seemed almost…disappointed. But that was fine, so was he.

* * *

She wiped the tears out of her eyes before they could fall and continued to march to her destination. What they'd done to him was outrageous. He hadn't done anything wrong! Now she'd have to prove it to them. The only problem was, transportation. Sari ad grown so accustomed to either driving or flying that she hadn't even considered it at first, but drastic times called for drastic measures. As she walked deeper into the building, the sound of raindrops faintly sounded. Great, now it'd be raining when she went out.

Sari came to the enormous steel door and stared up at it, surprised to find the inside of it quiet. She squared her shoulders and took a breath, reaching up and typing in the code, which, after a moment, sent the huge wall of metal upward, revealing its three recharging inhabitants. She carefully picked her way past the two larger ones and came to the dinobot she wanted to see. Sari grinned and laid a hand on his beak, effectively waking the bird. He cawed once, softly and shook his long head, meeting eyes with her. It blinked once and she reached up to put her palm against his snout.

"I need a favor from you,"

* * *

*=Dialogue borrowed from episode "Lost and Found"

**=Dialogue borrowed from "The Arrival" Transformers Animated Comic

*Neither Belong to me


End file.
